3 Breathwork Practices for Ego Release and Spiritual Awakening
Breathwork is an ancient practice that has gained renewed interest in recent years as people search for natural ways to improve their mental, emotional, and physical health.
Among the myriad techniques available, three distinct methods stand out for their unique benefits and approaches: Ego Releasing Breath, One Minute Breath, and Cosmic Swan Breathing. Each technique offers a pathway to enhanced well-being, greater emotional balance, and a deeper connection with the self.
In this blog post, we'll explore these three breathwork practices in detail, discussing their origins, how they are performed, and the benefits they offer.
Ego Releasing Breath
First, let's talk about the Ego. It can get a bad wrap. Its number one job, really what it's purely designed to do, is to keep us safe. The Ego is rooted in basic survival. It approaches keeping us safe by showing up as an inner voice that puts limitations on us.
The Ego lives in the past and future: constantly analyzing what's happened before and considering what might happen next. It can be controlling, encourage fear, and create resistance.
There is, of course, a time and a place for this. For example, should we be on a desert hike, all alone, in a remote area, the Ego can keep us from being eaten by a mountain lion, or in a less extreme example, it can heighten our senses when walking home late at night.
On the other hand, there are many times when the Ego steps in to keep us in our comfort zone, and as many wise folks have said, transformation and possibility are on the other side of comfort. Many of the kundalini yoga practices work by encouraging us to go beyond what we're accustomed to feeling.
As we begin to make peace with discomfort, the Ego relinquishes control and allows us to listen to the voice of intuition.
Intuition sits on the opposite end of the spectrum to Ego; it is rooted in kindness and love for self. It's an inner voice that guides us toward positive actions, the greatest good, and brave momentum.
In the water section, you learned about a practice called Arc Line Clearing. In that section, we talked about yogic energetics and the Arc Line, or the nucleus of the aura. The Arc Line holds our karmic story.
The Ego releasing breath works with our karmic energy while eradicating persistent egoic thoughts. It gives us an auric shine working with the Arc Line, the 6th body, and the Radiant Body, the 10th body. The Radiant Body is a field of energy that extends 9 feet around us; it's a bit like our personal Jedi force.
Before we begin the Ego releasing breath practice, here's a quick overview of all 10 bodies; it's helpful to have the perspective of what they each are responsible for and how they work together:
Soul Body - Our flow of spirit and connection to infinite consciousness
The Negative Mind - The assessment for danger while balancing discipline and integrity
The Positive Mind - Our playfulness, willpower, and self-worth
The Neutral Mind - Our ability to recognize polarity, listen to our intuition, and create balance
The Physical Body - Our human vessel holding the energy of the teacher within and serving as an anchor for the other 9 bodies
The Arc Line - Our halo, connection to our intuition, and the nucleus of our aura
The Aura - The electromagnetic field of energy that surrounds our Physical Body and holds our life force energy
The Pranic Body - Our energetic ability to take inspired action
The Subtle Body - Our ability to live beyond human form, our capacity for mastery
The Radiant Body - our charisma and magnetism
The Ego releasing breath creates a powerful 10th body - encouraging our courage, nobility, charisma, and magnetism. When our Radiant Body is vital and our Arc Line clear, our presence communicates contentment, containment, completeness, and consciousness.
When our Radiant Body isn't well, we may look outwards for security versus trusting what's within. We listen to the Ego versus our intuition when our Radiant Body is cloudy.
How to Practice Ego Releasing Breath:
Posture: Raise your arms over your head in a V-shape. Flex your fingers, then bend at the middle knuckle so the pads of your fingertips rest at the top of the palms. Point your thumbs towards the sky
The thumbs represent the Ego and our experience here on Earth; with your thumbs pointing upward, you are plugging into the higher realms, going above your earthly thoughts, and with arms spread in a V, we funnel in a new way of thinking.
Gaze: Close your eyes and focus on the third eye center.
Breath: There are options here for breathing based on what feels best to you. You can breathe with a long deep breath, inhaling and exhaling through the nose to create a sense of powerful calm. Try incorporating the Breath of Fire breathing from the Glow section into this practice for more intense practice.
This simple but super effective exercise has fantastic benefits. Energetically it strengthens and cleanses the lungs and opens the heart, plus it balances the hemispheres of the brain to guide us into mental clarity while quieting the egoic mind.
Start with 3 minutes of the Ego releasing breath and continue to build your practice up to 30 minutes.
One Minute Breath
In this pranayama, we'll focus on conscious control of the air moving in and out of our body, plus the pace and capacity at which the air will flow. This breath only takes a minute, hence the name; however, it's a powerful life force practice, infusing energy into our system.
With regular practice of the One Minute Breath, your lung capacity, focus, and concentration will improve.
In just one sitting, oxygen levels in your blood will begin to rise, increasing your immune capacity, strengthening the circulatory system, and releasing anxious thoughts so the mind can feel at ease. This practice can induce a higher state of consciousness and plentiful, life-changing results.
Be prepared to still the mind and find a deeper connection to your inner voice, as this practice will cultivate a restful silence.
How to Practice One Minute Breath:
Find a comfortable seat in a quiet location.
Begin with a deep inhale and exhale to settle into the practice.
This breath work is called the One Minute Breath because the intention is to grow your lung capacity to a point in which you experience one full rotation of breath in a minute.
The practice, in its fullest expression, starts with a 20 second inhale, followed by a suspension of the breath for 20 seconds, and ends with a 20 second exhale.
For most people, it takes time and regular practice to build up to the 20-second count; it's recommended to start by setting a timer for one minute and then begin by breathing for 5 seconds in equal parts, inhale, suspension, and exhale.
The most immediate benefit of this practice is a deep sense of relaxation. You may also notice a release of negative thought patterns and a creative energy boost following the practice.
To cultivate patience and a deeper listening to your intuitive voice, make the One Minute Breath a part of your regular wellness practice.
Cosmic Swan Breathing
There's an ancient Grecian story regarding the birth of Helen of Troy, daughter of Zeus and Leda. Helen was known to be the most beautiful woman in Greece, and her conception was quite unusual.
It's said that to win the affection of Leda, Zeus transformed himself into a swan. The encounter became a potent subject for artists in Ancient Greece and Renaissance Italy - inspiring art by da Vinci, Michelangelo Giampietrino, and Tintoretto, to name a few.
Today, in the night sky, you'll find Cygnus, a constellation meaning "swan" in Latin, cataloged by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy.
While there are a number of mythological origins for this constellation, with the story of Zeus's transformation being one of those, what's certain is that the Cygnus represents the mystery, grace, and glow of the cosmic swan.
In a dark sky, you can imagine Cygnus flying along the starlit trail of the summer Milky Way.
Cosmic Swan Breathing is a beauty practice shared by ancient yogis with the intention of quickly and effectively infusing a glowing vibrance into the skin while shifting us into an illuminated state of being.
This practice opens up the vertebrae, flushes the brain with cerebral spinal fluid, and oxygenates the blood. In addition, it's known to refresh the capillaries giving the cheeks a rosy hue.
I like to think of this practice as both a glow and grace amplifier.
How to Practice Cosmic Swan Breathing:
Posture: Start by sitting on your heels in rock pose (on your knees, with a cushion tucked beneath you to keep your joints safe), place your hands on the floor on either side of your knees. Sit gracefully; imagine you are a swan floating along a glistening lake with the sun shining overhead.
Movement: Begin the movement sequence of this meditation by rounding your spine up and outward, lowering the chin into the chest while rounding the back of the neck. Bow your head to the floor.
Next, dive forward, putting the total weight of your upper body on the tops of your thighs as you swoop down and forward, arching your back as you dive like a swan into the water. Once you've completed the dive, stretch forward and then circle back upwards to the original position.
The movement is an undulation of the spine: rounding, arching and stretching.
Breath: While practicing this movement sequence, inhale on the forward diving motion, and exhale as you return to the original floating position.
End this posture, seated back upright, resting both hands in your lap, eyes closed, like a swan floating gracefully along the water.
As recommended, with each breathwork practice, commit to 3 minutes daily; with this specific practice, the vitality benefits of this movement come from the pumping of cerebrospinal fluid through your system.
The cerebrospinal fluid does lots of things; it specifically aids the body in producing more collagen. Increasing collagen production in the body can result in improved hydration and elasticity in our skin.
Benefits of These Breathwork Practices
The benefits of Ego Releasing Breath, One Minute Breath, and Cosmic Swan Breathing are vast and varied. Practitioners often report improved mental clarity, reduced stress and anxiety, enhanced emotional resilience, and a greater sense of peace and well-being. Additionally, these practices can lead to deeper spiritual insights, fostering a connection with one's higher self and the universe at large.
Ego Releasing Breath helps in shedding limiting beliefs and emotional baggage, facilitating personal growth and transformation. One Minute Breath enhances focus, lung capacity, and resilience in the face of stress. Cosmic Swan Breathing invites a profound sense of oneness and spiritual connectivity, promoting inner peace and harmony.
TL;DR — Breathwork Practices
Breathwork offers a simple yet profound way to enhance well-being on all levels—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. The practices of Ego Releasing Breath, One Minute Breath, and Cosmic Swan Breathing each provide unique pathways to health, clarity, and inner peace.
By incorporating these techniques into your daily routine, you can embark on a journey of self-discovery, healing, and connection with the broader tapestry of life. As with any practice, consistency is key, and the benefits will deepen over time.
Whether you are seeking to reduce stress, improve your mental focus, or explore the depths of your spiritual nature, these breathwork practices offer valuable tools to support your journey.
About the Editor: Maeve Sullivan is a student at Georgetown University studying English and Government. She is a west coast enthusiast and loves all things reading and writing. You can learn more about Maeve on LinkedIn.
