Did you know that your heart rate, brainwaves and breathing rate are all tethered together?  So when one of those speeds up or slows down, so do the others.  Most of us can’t control our heart rate or brain waves (unless we’ve done a lot of training), but all of us can easily learn to slow down our breathing. Within 5 minutes or less, calm breathing will slow down a racing heart and mind.  It can stop a panic attack in its tracks. 

There are many effective techniques you can use.  Yogis practice Ujai breath, also known as “Ocean Sounding” breath.  Here’s how:

1. Lie comfortably on your back, with legs elevated and knees supported, so that the small of your back sinks into the floor.

2.  Close your eyes, close your mouth, and simply become aware of your breath, moving in and out through your nose without any effort.  Allow your attention to follow your breath.  If you notice thoughts occurring, that’s fine.  Just bring your attention back to your breath.

3.  Now tip your chin slightly down towards your chest.  Find the muscles at the back of your throat; the one’s you use to gently clear your throat.  By tightening them slightly, you will find that your breath now makes a calming sound, like ocean waves. Focus on this sound. No effort is needed.  Just notice how it is, as you draw air in and out of your nose.

4.  Gradually, begin to slow your breath.  If you find your mind wandering, just bring it back to the sound of your breath. 

5.  Start with 5 minutes of practice daily, and work up to 20 minutes for maximum health benefits.

“The mystics and the Sufis say that the Divine is the very breath we breathe.  The Hebrew word ruah means both spirit and breath…our essence is infused with and through the creativity of the Divine breath.  So the simple act of breathing that we do about 28,000 time a day is a way of breathing in the Divine, a way of praying, a way to ground ourselves in this moment.”  Thomas Merton

Ahhhhhh…  Just seeing this sound on the page invokes relaxation. Saying it is even better. Take a deep breath in through your nose, and then release a slow, calming Ahhhhhh through your mouth. Repeat 9 times.  How’s that? Did you notice your heart rate and breathing slow down?

It may seem simplistic, but this comforting sound definitely reduces stress instantly.  It’s the sound of the heart chakra, which invokes love, trust, hope, openness, compassion, balance and forgiveness. It counteracts depression, loneliness and lack of self-esteem.  This soothing tone is found in the sacred words of many faith traditions, including Amen, Alleluia, Aum and Allah’u’Abhá.

Here’s a heart opening practice that you can use to go deeper into the Ahhhh sound.

1.     Begin by listening to the sound of your breath.  Tip your chin down a little to make it slightly audible, like an ocean wave.  Let it flow in and out without effort. 

2.     Now visualize your breath coming in through your heart, and out through your solar plexus.  Imagine you are breathing in love and exhaling all toxic feelings and thoughts.

3.     Now think of something that you feel appreciation for.   It could be a joyful event in your life. A beautiful scene in nature. A loved one or a child.  The important thing is that you create a feeling of gratitude in your heart.  Feel this sense of gratefulness and imagine yourself surrounded by pink or green light.  Keep breathing without straining.

4.     On the next out-breath, let the sound ‘Ahhh” gently float out, as you release all tension.  Continue breathing and toning ‘Ahhh’ at your own pace. Continue to feel loving gratitude as you think of one thing you appreciate about yourself and one thing you appreciate about someone else.                 

5.     Visualize a beam of light, full of compassion coming from your heart and send it to …

• Yourself
  
• Someone you love
  
• Someone with whom you’ve had some difficulty
• Mother Earth and all her people
• Our Creator

With gratitude to Jonathan Goldman, International Sound Healer's Association. 

The other day the sunshine and warmth coaxed me outside for a walk.  It was one of those early spring days when it seemed that all of nature was bursting with new life.  Flowers blooming, birds singing at the top of their lungs, ducks swimming on the pond.  It was a soul-soothing feast for eyes and ears. Just five minutes of that sort of "ear candy" gives you a sonic tune-up, and nourishes your body, mind and spirit.

Why is "ear candy" so important?  Well, consider that your hearing is on 24/7 from the time you are in the womb until you die.  There is no "off" button. The toxic noises in our world, sounds that jar our nerves and keep our bodies on "red alert", are always affecting us, whether we are paying attention to them or not.  To reduce the stress caused by noisy environments, give your ears some restful sounds. A daily "sound bath" is as important for your health as is exercise and healthy food. 

What makes nature sounds so nourishing?  One reason is that your brain is a pattern-seeking device. It's constantly scanning the external environment for patterns that indicate potential threats.  When no patterns are found, your brain relaxes.  Bird sounds, running water and ducks quacking are random sounds that naturally put your busy brain on pause.  And then your breathing automatically slows down, and your heart rate decreases too. A great combo! 

So sit back and give yourself a "sound bath" with the sights and sounds of this video taken at King's Pond.  Or better yet, head out to the woods, beaches and lakes yourself. 

For best listening, use headphones. Adjust the volume to 75 decibels or less so you don't damage your hearing.  iPhone earbuds, for example, have a maximum volume of 100 decibels, which can damage your hearing instantly.  So use them at 3/4 volume at most.