Morning Power Walks With BreathPlay

I started a new morning routine this week, hitting the pavement at 5:30 for a 40-minute power-walk using Ian Jackson's BreathPlay Acousti-Coaching on my iPod. I use the 5-2 rhythm in the Serenity "Brisk Walk" track.

It's fascinating how such a simple thing is so profound, and never the same experience. By the time I arrive home, I've not only enlivened my body with my breath & elevated heartbeat, but I've had a whole inner journey that sets the tone for the rest of the day. I just love starting my day this way.

The Brisk Walk starts out without music, just with the rhythm and with Ian's hypnotic voice directing my awareness to my steps, to pushing my breath out and make the out-breath strong. The first thing I find myself doing is to find my center as a balance point, with my steps equalizing around it. I've been adding an audible "Right-Left-Right-Left-Right"...."Left-Right-Left-Right-Left" as I step, feeling my balance as I start the steps from each side.

It's remarkable how such a thing like simple walking can reveal imbalance. I can feel how my gait becomes a bit *squidgy* here and there around my center, rather than razor straight, and so I imagine that razor and perfect harmony rather than the distortions that pop up.

By the time the music starts, my spine is feeling lengthened, my center much stronger...and then Ian's voice shifts a bit, directing my awareness to making my drawing my naval to my spine.

As the track continues, the directions progress...to tucking the pelvis up a bit on the out-breath and "make your buttocks small", to pulling the navel up-and-back or up-and-down or just straight back, as well as narrowing the ribs, stretching the spine tall, stretching the ears high and bringing the shoulders down. It really becomes fun to play with these pieces. And still, it's just hardly scratching the surface of what "playing" with BreathPlay can be.

Sometimes on the out-breath I envision my body filling with light on the out-breath. Sometimes I bring my awareness to how much I'm giving my own creative energy out into the world with every out-breath. Sometimes on the out-breath I send out my intentions to my day & envision what I want it to be like, perhaps focusing on something specific. Sometimes I enliven my own intentions & things I'm endeavoring to manifest in my life with the energy I expend on my out-breath. It's a rich & creative process...and the time just *flies* by.

It's just great to be doing this again on a daily basis. I really missed it, and it's powerful business. I'm sure it's going to start domino-effecting into other areas of my life. That's what happened when I first discovered it back in June 2008. A lot of change began to occur from that point.

And on the level of the body, just three days and I can already feel my spine more enlivened. It's so worth mustering myself up for...