2016-02-20 at 7:21 AM UTC
Breath is the energy of life. In most developed meditation systems the preliminary practice is breath work. Often the student of meditation finds this practice mundane and boring. Inhale, exhale amirite? No I am not rite. There is an extreme variety of breathing types and methods I will share my classifications of breathing.
2 Dimensional breathing.
This type of breathing can also be identified as hyperventilation but can also take a less eratic style in some cases. 2-D breathing techniques consist of an inhale and an exhale repeated without pause or lapse in time between the breaths. Hyperventilation can be a dangerous exercise and should only be attempted for short bursts to reduce the danger of co2 build up. Taking the slower route by taking slow sustained breath for say 7 seconds in and out can be utilized much safer.
Triangular Breathing
Triangular breathing is a form of breathing with one pause. The patterns for triangular range from equilateral with a fixed in out and pause all consisting of the same time period say 4 seconds each to irregular where each breath and the pause all have different time signatures. These can also be classified as obtuse or acute in which one breath or the pause is either much longer or shorter than the others. There are many combinations to experiment with in triangular breathing.
Quadrilateral Breathing
Breath of the quadrilateral variety has four sides. Inhale pause exhale pause repeat. This is the most common type of breath used in meditation or hypnosis. Generally square breathing is practiced but a diamond variety of 3 second inhale, 3 second pause, 4 second exhale, 4 second pause is also common. There are even more combinations to be had when working with the four sided breath.
Pentagonal and Up
Any breath techniques consisting of higher than four breaths must inherently engage the mind in in an ongoing thought process to rotate the pauses and the breaths to fit the figures sides. In the pentagonal example we will have all but one side equal for ease. Lets say the breaths are 4 seconds on the first four sides and 6 seconds on the fifth. This would result in a four second in, a four second pause, a four second out, a four second pause then a six second in and it goes from there with a four second pause a four second exhale a four second pause a four second inhale and a six second pause. It continues along this way until each breath and pause has been through the rotation. This may be a good method for observing the mind in process after having mastered the four sided breath.
So there you have it. Think breathing is boring? Try applying geometry and experimenting with various breath techniques. In meditation the practice always comes back to the breath. In waking life the mood and mental state is linked with breathing patterns. Breathing as a practice increases heath and outlook when applied properly.
2016-02-20 at 7:28 AM UTC
aldra
JIDF Controlled Opposition
2/10 would not breathe again
2016-02-24 at 10:01 PM UTC
Triangular Breathing
giggity
2016-02-24 at 10:36 PM UTC
Inhale meth smoke exhale co2 I call it "Wearing a rebreather in a meth lab with ammonia fume laced ether peroxide air"
2016-09-27 at 5:52 AM UTC
bumping because everybody needs to breathe
aldra
JIDF Controlled Opposition
I stand by my original review
