If the mind is in a negative thought spiral, then the mind is not the most effective tool to shift that thought pattern; the breath is (Ashley Neese).
We all get caught up in a mental loop where we get stuck in negative thoughts and negative talk whether it be about ourselves or someone we feel has wronged us. And some of us, if given twenty compliments will spend most of our energy on the one criticism we receive.This is simply the way our brain works and is one of the reasons why human’s have survived as long as we have. We can upgrade our brain’s hardware by focusing on our breath combined with visualizations and music. If you have practiced the challenges presented over the past few months in the Weekly Breath Notes, you have likely begun to recognize that changing our breath pattern is a very effective way to shift our mental and emotional states from fight or flight (sympathetic NS) to rest and digest (parasympathetic NS) mode. The negative thinking Practice is a way to break the negative cycle and over time, could become a key tool in your self-care Breathwork Toolbox.
The Practice:
1. Sit comfortably in an upright position with your back straight .
2. Choose binaural beat music to listen to through head phones or ear buds for at least five to ten-minutes as you check in with your body to see where you are feeling negativity and what or whom that negativity is focused around. Keep the music playing for the duration of this Practice.
3. Set an intention to release negative thoughts and to soften the body where you are experiencing it, whether it be your gut, your heart or some other part of your body.
4. Take three small, sharp consecutive breaths in through your nose.
5. Exhale through the mouth in the same manner.
6. After two -minutes return to normal breathing and focus on the momentary pauses you take between your inhales and exhales. On your inhale pause, breathe in gratitude and on your exhales let go of anything no longer serving you around your intention. Perform normal breathing with this focus for 2- minutes.
7. Continue breathing at a normal pace and inhale and exhale through the nose only while performing the visualization in the next step.
8. Visualize all of your negative thoughts and the subject associated with your negative thinking as words and images. Collect the words and images and package them into a small suitcase. Once you have collected all of the words and images and have placed them into the suitcase, close the suitcase. Imagine that your superpower is to have the strength and courage to toss this suitcase outside of our atmosphere so that it cannot find its way back to Earth and when you are ready to release it, physically grab the suitcase and toss it into the sky and watch it disappear as the wind takes it away and the clouds in the sky no longer allow it to appear to the naked eye. Say goodbye with a smile on your face.
9. Take a deep breath in through the nose and exhale with a loud sigh of joy. Repeat this 2 more times.
10. Sit in silence and draw your attention back to your normal breath for 2-minutes while listening to the music and breath in gratitude and breath out love! If you are still feeling any discomfort in your body, breath in love and gratitude and send it to that area of your body.
11. At the end of the two-minutes give yourself a big hug with admiration for your strength and courage!
12. Journal your experience!
Weekly Breath Challenge:
Set aside at least 10-15 minutes each day you find yourself in a negative thought cycle and repeat this Practice. Repetition helps to clear the unconscious negative thought cycle and replace it with positive visualizations of the release (negative thoughts) associated with thoughts and emotions associated with gratitude and love. Remember to journal your experience each day of your Practice!
With love and gratitude …just breathe and let peace be your guide!
Serenity
Wellness & Coaching