Seven Sighs Meditation

Tension can hurt your body and mind by limiting adequate flow of blood to muscles and the brain. It can start after we get up in the morning and our carefully planned day begins to unravel. A child forgets his lunch, a driver cuts in front of you, a client demands more than a minute of your time or any number of things throughout the day can build tension in your body. By the time dinner comes around you are wiped out not just because your day was busy but also because your body has been tight, tense and out of balance all day.

Spot meditations help your body stay in balance the whole day by shifting your awareness from thinking to sensing. Helping you come back to the present to focus on something positive and uplifting. This meditation you can do quickly and quietly on the spot, whenever you need to de-tress or reclaim energy.

When our body is tense our breathing is shallow and short, in some cases we may even hold our breath. When we are relaxed our out-breath is longer than the in breath acting as a mini detox session, ridding your body of toxic carbon dioxide. When we’re completely relaxed, we sigh which sends a signal to our brain to relax.

Seven Sighs

1.      On a regular basis throughout your day, sigh seven times and while you exhale release a satisfied “Ahhhh”! 

2.            As you release the breath feel the body releasing and relaxing. 

3.           Make note of each sigh. Does it become longer? Slower? Deeper?

4.        In the quiet after you release the sigh rest and relax further.

5.       Once you have completed the Seven Sighs, breathe naturally.

6.        Intentfully dedicate at least one of the Seven Sighs practices a day to releasing tension;
   a. Scan your body first for areas you may be storing tension.
   b. On the exhalation, breathe the "Ahhhh...." into the tense areas.
   c. Consciously relax the spot while sighing.