A few years ago, during my research on inspiration, I found a phrase that I ended up printing and placing at the entrance of our Ashtanga Cascais, and that today is part of an exercise that I teach as relaxation and meditation.

It is a simple and effective exercise, particularly at times of greatest uncertainty, concern, anxiety and fear.

If you want to learn it in the form of rest, lie down in a comfortable posture, close your eyes, and mentally follow your breath through your nose, try to create long, slow, and deep breaths, and so make the most of your diaphragm.

And this is the first step in this relaxation, which can also be elevated to a meditation technique, just by sitting in a comfortable cross-legged posture, straightening your back, closing your eyes, and starting this first description, where you place the your attention to mentally follow your nasal breathing.

And you stay here for a while, in no hurry, so you can feel yourself settling down internally.

The second step of this exercise is to affirm mentally on each inhale, “I inhale courage”, and on each exhale you say “I exhale fear”. Repeat these statements over several breath cycles if you feel the need to add other words to each of the phrases, for example, in inspiration, “I inspire courage, well-being, comfort and health”, and in exhalation, “I allow to free myself from fear, pressure, worry and anxiety. ”

Try to keep an eye on the breathing phase and the words you say, repeat each sentence without haste and notice the sensations that are arise in your body and mind. And let yourself be there, in silence.

When you open your eyes again, you will feel serene, confident, positive.

The duration of this exercise is 5 to 15 minutes.  Start with 5 minutes, and then you add a few more moments to each new day. Try it.

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