Hi Melissa, Nice little technique! Like you say in your article, it should work great for many people to give a quick focusing/relaxation break during a long day at work. In essence, it could be considered a kind of pranayame technique, though a gentle and relatively non-intrusive one. I personally am wary of offering any kind of aggressive pranayama advice for "general consumption" (and I'm not suggesting your technique is aggressive!). Becoming aware of the intention to breath can, for some people over time, lead to problems with their natural breathing patterns. I don't sense this should be a concern with your method. You might, on the other hand, consider making it slightly more general, something like: - inhale, hold briefly, and exhale for about twice the length of your inhalation - inhale a little more slowly, hold briefly, and exhale again for about twice the length of your inhalation - inhale a little more slowly again, hold briefly, and exhale for the last time for about twice the length of your inhalation This should help people remain within their own specific breath pattern, rather than imposing a structured one based on time. You could also suggest applying a little ujjayi on the exhalation to help slow the breath down without using the muscles of exhalation, which can cause subtle tension. Hope that helps! In Joy! Peter
Edited by Peter 2010-06-09 12:41 AM
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What do you think of my technique?
