What is "natural breath"

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Jack, modified 6 Years ago at 1/18/18 7:55 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 1/18/18 7:55 PM

What is "natural breath"

Posts: 64 Join Date: 11/13/17 Recent Posts
I generally hear breathing should be natural and uncontrolled.

Whenever I bring my attention to the breath sensations, it involuntarily becomes unnatural and controlled somehow. A tension soon develops in the abdomen.

Only time I feel some sense of calm is when I’m not thinking about the breath, doing some other activity sitting down.

Anyone known this phenomenon?
Can access concentration not be reached using any breathing pattern?
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Jack, modified 6 Years ago at 1/18/18 8:19 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 1/18/18 8:19 PM

RE: What is "natural breath"

Posts: 64 Join Date: 11/13/17 Recent Posts
Otherwise stated, how do I "just relax"?

This seems to be my greatest hindrance to access concentration.

Ironically, most advice on the web for relaxing involves some form of breath control.
Daniel Slaney, modified 6 Years ago at 1/19/18 6:16 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 1/19/18 6:16 AM

RE: What is "natural breath"

Posts: 13 Join Date: 3/9/17 Recent Posts
As long as you're not intending to alter the breath, it is 'natural' is this context.

Intending to change the breath to be normal is not natural in this context
shargrol, modified 6 Years ago at 1/19/18 6:29 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 1/19/18 6:29 AM

RE: What is "natural breath"

Posts: 2345 Join Date: 2/8/16 Recent Posts
For learning how to relax or drop manipulation, this video might be helpful...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ6cdIaUZCA
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baba ganoush, modified 6 Years ago at 1/19/18 9:43 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 1/19/18 9:40 AM

RE: What is "natural breath"

Posts: 36 Join Date: 6/8/16 Recent Posts
Jack...

i guess everyone who starts w/ focus on breath has similar problems, w/ me it was a case of closing my throat and wondering why i stopped breathing, resulting in a need to breath deliberately, which is not ideal.

To breathe, there needs to be free air flow and yr lungs have to expand/contract the latter of which can only occur if yr ribs or diaphragm move.  Abdominals have very little effect, let them tense up if you like... may be good for posture?

Try some deliberate gentle breaths and observe the feelings around the ribs and diaphram and throat, get all hands on if that's necessary. (or just focus on ribs and diaphram instead of nose). Then compare what's happening with your controlled and unnatural breathing and work out what's different.  You can deliberately tense and relax bit to feel how it works, and learn what you have to do to relax each part. (ie divide the 'tensing up' issue into smaller peices)  Focus on 'abs' (i guess stomach area just below ribs, hands on if need be, is a recognised alterative to nose and just as valid, or so i hear.

Then you just have to wait for  a breath, it will come, if not you're holding it somehow, go back to the previous paragraph.


I jst tried hand on stomach, siezed up, noticed  throat was locked shut, let go, and breathing happened.

HTH ;-)

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