Meditation and Breath

"The breath is the intersection of the body and mind"
- Thich Nhat Hanh

This quotation embodies a potent thought. When you become consciously aware of your breath, an energetic bridge into a meditative state of being is created. The breath offers a very visceral and tactile touch stone, an energetic threshold that can move you directly into a conscious awareness of your connection to spirit.

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The art of daily meditation has the capacity to guide you deeply into a heightened state of conscious awareness through a sacred breath connection. Meditation and conscious breath awareness also ground you into the present moment and can greatly affect, and positively shift, issues such as stress, anxiety, fear, panic, dissociation, which in turn can facilitate a greater sense of control, well-being, and empowerment.

I have been meditating since I was a little girl. At the time I had no idea what meditation was or that I was meditating. It came to me as second nature. It was just a part of how I navigated and survived my childhood. The process of meditation seemed to always be there, a soulful healing ally, always and ever present, within those young moments of growth and challenge.

I had my first out-of-body experience when I was fourteen years old. The experience was directly facilitated by a meditative state of being and a profoundly deep consciously aware connection to my breath. There was no pushing on my part or attempting to facilitate any sort of occurrence for myself. It just spontaneously happened.

Meditation has always been a part of my life experience, one that continues to present day. These lifelong experiences have taught me several key and important things about the art of meditation:

Meditation requires you to embrace imperfection—if you expect perfection you will never reach a meditative state of being. The energy of expectation anchors and grounds you in a state of limitation. You cannot move into a meditative state of being while in a state of limitation.
If you force, push, or try to make yourself meditate, meditation will remain elusive. Meditation is a state of flow and allowance, not a forced state found by trying to do something specific. Meditation is a state of being, not a state of doing.
Conscious breath awareness and the art of meditation go hand-in-hand as they are an interconnected infinity loop. One feeds and supports the other.
The art of meditation takes commitment and daily practice—the rewards of which are rich and limitless. Meditation is an art, not a science. When explored daily, it provides you with a regular and direct connection to your higher self and sense of spiritual and intuitive guidance.

So, how do you get started? Begin at the beginning by becoming intimate with your breath. Become mindfully aware of the quality of your breath. Engage your breath in relation to your conscious level of awareness by asking yourself daily:

What is the quality of my breath?
What is the depth of my breath?
Am I using the full and entire capacity of my lungs?
Where is my focus?

Becoming mindful of your breath in relation to your level of conscious awareness is a huge first step in clearing the way toward a successful daily meditative practice.

Want a little more guidance? Check out my Quick Tip Video: Connecting with your Breath.

We are now seeing scientific research supporting a plethora of positive and healing effects experienced when one engages in a daily meditation practice.

Want to know more about meditation research?
Check out: scholar.harvard.edu/sara_lazar/publications

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Rev Ann Rene

About the author

I am a holistic healing practitioner, spiritual minister, and teacher who holds a broad spectrum of certifications and training in alternative as well as traditional healing therapies. I have traveled the world extensively studying wise woman healing techniques, energy medicine, shamanism, witchcraft, indigenous spirituality, and esoteric teachings. Soul Song Healing Guidance is the name of my healing and teaching practice. I have spent over thirty years empowering beautiful souls through heart centered energetic holistic healing support, intuitive guidance, and spiritual counsel. Additionally, I offer extremely unique handcrafted artesian metaphysical products, original artwork, classes, and individual healing sessions.
In Peace and Love,

Rev Ann Rene