BREATHWORK RESOURCES
You’ll find some inspiring resources here to support your Breathwork practice, including my simple instructions for the 9 Healing Breaths. If you’d like to dive deeper into the original source for this particular, powerful Breathwork practice, check out Master Stephen Co’s book, The Power of Prana.
Here are my simple instructions for the practice:
THE 9 HEALING BREATHS
These exercises are best done standing with your feet flat on the floor and your spine straight. Some traditions recommend doing them outdoors, but indoors with the windows open is also good. Wear loose, comfortable clothing. Morning is the ideal time to do these exercises, since doing them at night can generate too much energy and interfere with sleep. It's best not to eat or drink anything cold for about an hour after doing the 9 Healing breaths. It's also recommended to avoid bathing or showering for an hour or two after practicing to avoid diminishing the Prana generated by the exercises.
1st Healing Breath
Alternate nostril breathing. Cleans and balances the sun/moon energies (Ida/Pingala nadi's).
1. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth.
2. Make Visnu mudra with the right hand
3. Block the left nostril and inhale through the right to a count of six
4. Block both nostrils and hold for 3 counts
5. Block the right nostril and exhale left for 6 counts
6. Block both nostrils and hold for 3 counts.
7. Block the right nostril and inhale left for 6 counts
8. Block both nostrils and hold for 3 counts
9. Block the left nostril and exhale through the right for 6 counts
10. Repeat steps 3 - 9 six more times (7 rounds total)
11. Remove the right hand and take two normal breath cycles
2nd Healing Breath
Rapid turtle breathing. This is a more vigorous exercise than the first. Cleanses the brain and gives the ability to think clearly.
With feet flat on floor and palms resting on your legs:
1. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth except during the exhalations.
2. Exhale completely and allow your head to droop down on your chest
3. Inhale through both nostrils and, as you do, raise your head off your chest, pivoting backward at the neck as far as comfortable so that your head reaches it's furthest point back when your lungs are completely full.
4. Hold at the top for one moment
5. Exhale sharply through the mouth and pivot your head forward, back to the starting position (temporarily removing the tongue from the roof of the mouth as you do so). Your cheeks should puff out a little and you should hear a "shhh" sound as you exhale.
6. Repeat 13 more times. Take 2 normal breaths. Perform 2 more sets, 14 in each, with 2 normal breaths between. Then, finish with one set with 7 repetitions.
7. Take two normal breath cycles.
3rd Healing Breath
Cleanses, activates, and energizes the chakras of the entire body.
1. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth.
2. Exhale completely
3. Inhale through both nostrils to fill your lungs completely.
4. After your lungs are full, take a final vigorous and audible inhalation through the nose and then "lock in" the breath by tensing the PC muscles as well all the muscles of the body. Don't strain.
5. Hold for 5 seconds
6. Exhale and relax your body for two normal breaths
7. Repeat the entire sequence one more time
4th Healing Breath
Circulates energy through the meridians. Energies the chakras of the upper body - particularly the Heart chakra.
1. Exhale completely
2. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth
3. Inhale through the nose while simultaneously swinging your arms in an arc out to your sides and overhead
4. Coordinate your breathing so that the back of your palms touch above your head at the same time you've completed your inhale
5. Take one more vigorous inhale
6. Lock the PC muscles and tense your body
7. Hold for 5 seconds
8. Release in 3 short, sharp exhalations through clenched teeth while swinging your arms down to 2:00 and 10:00 (1st exhalation), 3:00 and 9:00 (2nd exhalation), and 4:00 and 8:00 (3rd exhalation).
9. As you bring your hands to rest on your legs, release any remaining air and relax your body
10. Take two normal breaths
11. Repeat the entire sequence once more
5th Healing Breath
Energizes throat chakra, front and back heart chakras, and 2nd chakra. Loosens the muscles of the neck, shoulders and upper back
1. Exhale completely
2. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth
3. As you inhale through your nose, raise your fists (thumbs on top) until they are at shoulder height directly in front of you (at the completion of your inhalation)
4. Take one more vigorous inhale
5. Keep your wrists and elbows lightly locked
6. Lock the PC muscles and tense your body
7. While holding your breath, swing your arms out to a "T" and then back again a total of 3 times
8. Bring your hands back down to your sides, relax your fists and exhale
9. Take two normal breaths
10. Repeat the entire sequence once more
6th Healing Breath
Expels stuck, negative energies from the aura. The 6th and 7th Healing Breath should be large and powerful movements.
1. Exhale completely
2. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth
3. Inhale fully through the nose
4. Lock the PC muscle and tense your body
5. While holding your breath, pivot your arms outward and upward in an arc that will take them over your head and behind you
6. Keep wrists, elbows, and shoulders firm during the exercise
7. While keeping your body tense and holding your breath, do two more sets of arm circles
8. Allow your arms to rest at your sides and exhale
9. Take two normal breaths
10. Repeat the entire sequence once more
7th Healing Breath
Cleans away stress energy from the lower back
1. Place your hands behind you at around waist level, palms facing out, thumbs and first fingers touching (forming a diamond)
2. Exhale completely
3. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth
4. Inhale fully through the nose
5. Lock the PC muscles and tense your body
6. Swing your arms forward and up overhead (to approximately the same position as in the 6th Healing Breath)
7. Keep your wrists and elbows slightly tense throughout the movement
8. Return your hand to the original position
9. Perform two more sweeping arm movements for a total of three
10. After the third repetition, flick your hands downward, wiping away negative energy from the lower back
11. Exhale and relax
12. Take two normal breaths
13. Repeat the entire sequence once more
8th Healing Breath
Strong cleansing and energizing effect on the entire aura as well as the physical body. Exercises the two main pumping stations that move energy from the lower to the upper chakras.
1. Place your hands on the crest of your hip bones, with the thumbs reaching back towards the kidneys, fingers spread across your abdomen
2. Move your elbows slightly forward
3. Exhale completely
4. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth
5. Inhale fully through the nose
6. Lock the PC muscles and tense your body
7. While holding your breath, roll your head forward as far as it will comfortably go, then roll it back as far as it will comfortably go.
8. Repeat the head rolls two more times while still holding the breath
9. Return your head to the starting position and exhale completely
10. While still holding the PC lock, bend forward at the waist until your body is parallel to the floor, then bend backwards as far as you comfortably can
11. Do the forward and backward bend two more times
12. Return to the starting position, exhale fully and relax your body
13. Take two normal breaths
14. Repeat the entire sequence once more
9th Healing Breath
Ties together all of the previous exercises by cleansing and energizing all of the chakras. Connects us to the root energy of the earth through the soles of the feet.
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands placed as they were for the 8th Healing Breath
2. Exhale completely
3. Tip of the tongue pressed to the roof of the mouth
4. Inhale fully through the nose
5. Lock the PC muscles and tense your body
6. While holding your breath and bodily tension, pivot sideways to the left as far as you comfortably can until the right heel lifts slightly off the ground. Then perform this movement in the other direction, bending to the right until the left heel lifts slightly.
7. Repeat this movement two more times
8. Return to the starting position and exhale completely, relaxing the body
9. Take two normal breaths
10. Repeat the entire sequence once more