Breath of Awareness

Practicing Breath of Awareness

When you have practiced Breath of Relief for at least several days, can do it for three minutes continuously and have gotten over the initial soreness in your legs and back you may be ready to begin Breath of Awareness. I hope you will also consider trying Breath of Relief at work during those times you feel angry, frustrated and/or tired. It is much better to let go of frozen energy before it sinks into body memory.

From your practice of Breath of Relief, you should begin to feel yourself more in your legs and lower body. One of the immediate benefits of FlowMotion is the feeling of energy and aliveness that will return to your body with practice. You might also begin to experience more body awareness.

Body awareness begins with feeling more connected to and being inside your body more of the time. As you begin to practice Breath of Awareness, consciously become more open and receptive to the energies, feelings, sensations, even emotions and images that are stored in and flowing through your body all of the time.

After you get comfortable doing the motions themselves in harmony with your breathing, begin to allow your body awareness and intelligence take over the job of directing each and every movement. Once you build a solid foundation (straight back, floating center, breathing from the diaphragm in harmony with your motion) you can begin to sense, rather than think your way through each movement.

As you begin to sense the flow of movement allow your awareness to progressively focus inwards, to your inner experience. Without thinking about it, allow your attention – the focus of your awareness – to turn from the outside of your body to the inside of your body as you are doing Breath of Awareness.

What does it feel like to be on the inside of your body as it flows in harmony with your breath from one movement to the next? Can you sense the movement as though you were the breath and energy that is flowing through your body? Can you sense your muscles as they push, pull and float with each movement? Can you feel the aliveness in your nervous system as your back, spine and neck are gently stretched?

It may be helpful to focus on a particular part of your body and/or muscle group as you practice Breath of Awareness. For instance, you might start with your legs and back, particularly if they are still sore. Rather than try to ignore the soreness or force movement in spite of the soreness, allow your awareness to surround the soreness and gently, easily breathe energy into the soreness. Feed each part of your body with energy and awareness.

 Each time you focus on a body part, become as open and receptive as you can to a different kind of language that your body speaks. This is the language of sensation, feeling, intuition, images and hunches. Suspend the constant talk of the ego, and look and listen to who you are, the reality of your physical being.