Notice how your body and breathing are connected.
Lie comfortably on your back and slowly close your eyes.
For about thirty seconds, contract as many muscles as you can in your whole body: face and neck, torso and pelvis, arms and hands, legs and feet, squeezing as tightly as possible (but not to the level of pain) while breathing from the chest quickly and shallowly.
After those 30 seconds release the tension quickly. And relax.
Consider what you noticed as you did in the previous step.
For thirty seconds, contract your whole body again, squeezing with similar intensity, but this time breathe from the belly slowly and deeply.
Release the tension and relax.
Consider what you were aware of this time.
What was the difference between straining the body while breathing from the chest and straining the body while breathing from the abdomen? Did you notice a difference in what you were thinking or feeling, both emotionally and physically? Does time seem to pass faster or slower? Did you get the feeling of how to release tension and feel calm by bringing your attention to your breath? Was there also a slight sense of the calming ability of the breath?
Nothing found.