Introduction Breathing exercises, visualisation and meditation are all completely free and readily available to you twenty-four

hours a day. It is easy to dismiss such techniques, particularly if you have intense pain and then assume you must need powerful medication. However, with practise, I found them incredibly effective. Breathing exercises Fortunately, breathing is completely unconscious and we do not have to think about doing it. However, because it is completely unconscious, most of the time we are completely unaware of how we are breathing. Breathing exercises are a great way to release stress and tension. It is sometimes called conscious, intentional or transformational breathing. Essentially they are the same thing: the conscious use of breathing to develop a very deep and revealing state of inner consciousness. Meditators often use these techniques as a way to inner peace, health and vitality. If you have suffered from mental, emotional or physical trauma, you will have tension from stress stored up in your body. The effect of these negative emotions can be felt every time you move. Benefits of breathing exercises As we experience events in life there can be times when we feel threatened in some way. These threats can be real or imaginary, emotional, physical or mental but they are all very real to us. Our natural breathing pattern can be changed by these fears. In the past, when I felt frightened, stressed or worried, my breathing became very shallow, rapid and high in my chest. Eventually, I experienced chest pains and would unconsciously hold my breath in an effort to calm down. Over twenty years ago I even went to the doctor because I was so concerned about the constant pain in my chest and was told it was the way I was holding myself. Apparently, I was tense and needed to learn to relax. I tried really hard, but it only disappeared when I exercised or slept and then retuned very quickly. Traumatic events that are not resolved at the time can remain in the form of contracted energy (cellular memory). This, in turn, can result in illness, depression and aches and pains in the body. Breathing consciously is believed to release this negative energy as fuel for the body. Breath control is a powerful tool for connecting the body and mind. It has been used in various ways by disciplines as diverse as kung fu, tai chi, yoga, Christian monasticism and Kabbalah, to name a few. When we practise conscious control of the breath, we harness the power of the mind to the reactions of the body and create calmness, in turn reducing pain. For centuries past, women have used controlled breathing as a way of helping to regulate labour pains. During labour the pain is often very intense. Breathing consciously allows the womans mind to take over instead of her body. Therefore, she breathes slowly and deeply rather than the instinctive fast, shallow breathing triggered by her nervous system. In other words, her attention diverts to her breathing rather than the pain. Thankfully, this technique works for more than just birthing pain. How to breathe consciously

There are lots of books available on the subject if you want to study further, but this very simple exercise is the one I practise: 1. Begin by paying attention to your next few breaths. 2. Notice the speed of your breathing. 3. Become aware of where exactly in your chest you are breathing from. 4. Continue to be aware for the next few minutes. 5. Now pay attention to the quality of each inhalation. 6. Notice the feelings and sensations of breath flowing into your body. 7. Feel the places in your torso that move with inhalation. 8. Now pay attention to the quality of each exhalation. 9. Notice the sensations of the breath flowing from your body, the coolness or warmth of air entering or leaving the nostrils and how your shoulders drop slightly. 10. Begin to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, focusing on each breath. 11. Feel the places in your torso that move or do not move with each exhalation; for instance, the gentle rise and fall of your chest. 12. Close your eyes and continue to pay close attention to the ebb and flow of each breath. 13. As you continue to breathe, notice how wonderful each one can be. 14. Continue to enjoy the feeling for a few more breaths. I love the feeling I get from conscious breathing and the great thing is it can be done anytime, anywhere. It is also a very effective way to calm both your mind and your body.