ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

Expelled Breath Meditation

Updated on May 8, 2022

In order for us to cherish each breath we take, we must acknowledge the fact that one day we will surely breathe our last breath – Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa

An important part of practicing yoga, which I believe is the most important, is your breath. Deep breathing in a seated position at the beginning of a yoga practice helps to calm the mind and prepare the body for yoga. A deep inhalation or exhalation while performing a pose helps to increase the fluidity and depth of the pose. Concentrating on your breath while in a balancing pose helps to steady your balance. Not related to yoga, a deep breath can help you remain relaxed in a tense or difficult situation. Taking several deep slow breaths before giving a presentation can help calm your mind to help you think clearly.

Just as deep breathing helps to connect your body and mind, the absence of breath helps you become aware of your body, mind and soul connection. There is a Kundalini meditation called the Expelled Breath meditation that is often practiced to confront the fear of dying, but it can be used to help you become aware of your body and thought pattern on a different level. When I first tried this meditation, I didn’t like it. I felt anxious and claustrophobic not taking an immediate inhale after emptying my lungs of air. On the first day, I was only able to repeat the mantra that is part of the meditation 2 times. I kept up with this meditation though, because I knew that it wasn’t going to hurt me, that I wasn’t going to die from it, and that working through a situation that made me feel uncomfortable was only going to benefit how I handle uncomfortable situations in the future. Along with the mind awareness benefit of this meditation, the physical act of expelling all the air from your lungs and refilling them helps to expand your lung capacity. Also, replacing the carbon dioxide in your lungs with oxygen increases the oxygen in your bloodstream which helps to reduce stress induced cortisol and helps your mind become more alert.

How to Practice the Expelled Breath Meditation

  • Sit quietly with your hands held out in front of you with your palms up, one hand on top of the other like you are cupping water. Be comfortable, not tense.
  • Loosely close your eyes. Do not squeeze them shut.
  • Inhale slowly and deeply, filling your lungs completely.
  • Slowly exhale, expelling all the air from your lungs (don't inhale yet);
  • Mentally recite "Sat Nam" four times in a normal voice speed.
  • Inhale slowly and deeply to fill your lungs, then slowly exhale and recite "Sat Nam" five times. Gradually work your way up to chanting the mantra eight times.

The phrase “Sat Nam” is a Sanskrit phrase meaning “I am truth”.

If you can only repeat the mantra one or two times to begin with, that is OK. If you keep at it, you will eventually work your way up to chanting the mantra eight times.

You can also practice this meditation laying down. Lay flat on your back with your legs splayed comfortably apart and your arms away from your body, palms up.

I practice this meditation when I first wake up, laying down, before getting out of bed. Within just a few days of continued practice, I was able to recite the mantra on the expelled breath for eight times. I didn’t say it fast either! My body and mind remains relaxed and I feel energized afterwards. This meditation also helps me start each day with the knowledge that I can overcome any obstacle I may encounter throughout the day.

If you have any fear of loss, not necessarily fear of death, give this meditation a try. Give your breath away. Learn to live.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)