| Some common examples of meditating on a | | | | anxiety in the waiting room, and the exam room, |
| function are - breath awareness meditation and | | | | one can practice meditation, which results in |
| walking meditation. There are other lesser know | | | | optimum blood pressure readings and a relaxed |
| examples, such as meditating while painting, | | | | frame of mind. |
| drawing, drumming, writing, dancing, and many | | | | You can perform breath awareness meditation in |
| more creative pursuits. | | | | a chair, when you are in public places, or on the |
| In Yoga classes, the most common of the | | | | floor at home. The primary emphasis is to focus |
| above-mentioned meditation techniques is breath | | | | on your navel, expanding out slowly during inhales, |
| awareness meditation. If you sit quietly in an | | | | and to slowly draw the navel in toward the spine |
| isolated room, without any background noise, and | | | | on exhales. |
| close your eyes, it is easy to become aware of | | | | If a student has spent a lifetime of breathing |
| your breathing. | | | | incorrectly, it may be better to focus on slowly |
| This is a function we give very little thought to, | | | | drawing the navel in toward the spine during |
| unless we are trained to make breathing more | | | | exhalations and relaxing during the inhalations. |
| important in our lives. Some coaches of | | | | As you continue this practice, become aware of |
| competitive sports, train athletes to focus on the | | | | the expansion and contraction of your lungs in |
| importance of dynamic breathing techniques. The | | | | every possible direction. There is no force needed. |
| difference in an athlete's performance can be | | | | This is just a natural breath, but with time your |
| quite dramatic. | | | | lungs will be able to expand completely. |
| An athlete becomes more balanced during a | | | | This method can be practiced with eyes opened |
| performance, as a result of focusing on breath | | | | or closed. It is most commonly taught with the |
| awareness. He or she can perform better, longer, | | | | eyes closed; most students become more aware |
| faster, and stronger, due to controlling his or her | | | | of sound when the eyes are closed. If this |
| breath during competition and practice. | | | | happens to you, experience the sounds of life, |
| If you want to practice breath awareness | | | | and do not judge them. |
| meditation, sitting up straight is the beginning of | | | | Your sessions can be as long as you like, but five |
| preparation. You can perform this anywhere you | | | | minutes is a good start. When teaching this |
| go. Some of my students perform breath | | | | method to groups in auditoriums, and meeting |
| awareness while waiting to meet their physician. | | | | rooms, participants remark at how much better |
| Many people rush to a doctor's appointment, only | | | | they feel after a five minute introduction to |
| to wait in one room and then wait in another. | | | | breath awareness. This is why you commonly see |
| Waiting to see a surgeon for an appointment, or | | | | this meditation method taught in introductory |
| check up, can last hours. Instead of creating | | | | Yoga classes. |