The more strongly we try not to perceive unpleasant, fear-laden contents of consciousness or experiences, to ignore them, or to flee from them, the more we burden our own organism as well as our environment, because this kind of repression can be achieved through excessive eating impulses, alcohol, smoking, consumption, television, an excessive inclination toward power or money. The desire to be “whole” and to heal comes from the same root “haelan,” which means to be whole, healthy, at one with oneself. This seems to be an inherent motivation in all of us. The following breathing exercise supports this process of healing and the integration of the various—partly unconscious—parts of ourselves.
Sit on a chair so that both feet have good contact with the floor and both sitting bones have good contact with the chair. The spine lengthens in a relaxed, upright posture. The chin is slightly drawn back and the cervical spine is gently elongated.
If you are very flexible in your legs, you may also sit on the floor and place a firm cushion under your buttocks so that both knees rest on the floor. This sitting posture is important for a stable position with a relaxed, upright spine.
Gently direct your attention to the movements of the breath—the inhalation and exhalation movements in the chest and abdominal area, or at the nostrils. Choose either the chest/abdominal area or the nostrils, but do not let your attention jump back and forth between the two areas.
Whenever you notice that your attention is drifting, acknowledge that your thoughts have wandered and gently return your mindfulness to the breath. Try to recognize the thoughts and simply notice your presence, then gently let them go and return to the breath.
It is completely normal for thoughts to wander. This wandering of thoughts depends on experiences and conditioning from the past, and it is not possible to prevent it. Each time you recognize that you have drifted and return to the breath, you are in a moment of mindfulness. At the same time, this process is also a gentle method of deconditioning.
Do this exercise daily, preferably at the same time, for 10 to 20 minutes.
