Pam Strand (00:00):
Welcome to the Longevity Gym. Hello, my name is Pam Strand. I'm your podcast host. The Longevity Gym is about learning how to live longer, stronger, and better. My perspectives that I share in this podcast are informed by my 20 year career as a personal trainer and life coach, helping people in their middle years transform their fitness and their lives. What I share here is also shaped by my own experience. When 20 years ago at age 44, I decided I was tired of being tired and started off on a journey to redesign my life around my health and wellbeing. In each episode, I share information that I have found fascinating and that I think would be helpful in reaching two very important goals, living stronger and living healthier. And today I want to share one of the most fundamental elements of living a healthy life, and that is our breath.
(01:03):
We can live days without food and hours without water, but can only survive minutes without breath. Oxygen is the most vital nutrient for our bodies. Fortunately, we don't have to think about breathing or plan the next time we're going to take a breath. Breathing is an automatic function. It's likely a process that many of us take for granted or at least don't think give it much thought. Not everyone though can take an easy automatic breath, especially those who suffer from a disease or illness such as pneumonia or asthma and COPD and lung cancer. There are sensors in our blood vessels and in our lungs that provide feedback to the respiratory control center in our brain to speed up or slow down our respiration rates to deepen or lengthen the breath according to the needs of the body. And in order to maintain balance within the body, we can improve the performance of our breath and our body's ability to use oxygen through exercise and breath work.
(02:14):
We can also manipulate our breath on demand, if you will. We can take intentional, slow, deep breaths to calm our nerves and to quieter minds. We can also hold our breath when we want to steady our hand. We might speed up our breath rate to generate heat in the body, to rev up our energy and wake up our brain, which can be a great morning Routine. Breath and breathing are amazing and beautiful things, and today I want to celebrate that with you by sharing a guided breathwork meditation that I created. The session connects you with your breath and then offers a gentle breathwork sequence, both of which are very calming. This session is about 25 minutes long. It can be done seated or laying on the floor. You'll want to be in a place that's quiet and where you can close your eyes and not be interrupted. If you're listening while you're driving. Driving a vehicle would not be a time to do this session, so if you need to hit pause, I hope you come back because these are 25 rejuvenating minutes for you and your energy. I hope you enjoy it.

Welcome to this time of meditation. You're invited to find a comfortable position either seated in a chair or on a cushion or laying on your mat, on the floor, whatever is most comfortable for you, a position where your spine can be long and your chest open where you are relaxed but not so relaxed to be slouching or inviting sleep. In addition to meditation today, we will be doing breath work. So find a position that allows you to breathe comfortably.
(04:15):
Let your chair, the floor or the cushion support your whole body, soften your body, relax yet be alert and tune your attention inward. Close your eyes if you haven't already. Now, breathe fully full breaths through your nose if possible. Easy yet, complete breath with as little effort as possible. As you do this, let the body relax and soften even more. Now let's take some cleansing breath to let the breath, particularly the out breath, wash away any distractions that take you away from this moment. As you inhale, imagine breathing in new, refreshing energy. As you exhale gently let go of anything that you do not need at this moment. So inhaling new energy, new life, exhaling what's not serving you or anything that you do not need. Right now, let your breathing return to its normal rhythm and begin to notice your inhale turning into an exhale and that spot where your exhale turns back into an inhale. And in this manner, let the breath open you to your awareness and to your presence here in your breathing body, opening to the flow of your breath and opening to the rhythm of your breathing body, inhaling and exhaling your body, creating and moving your breath through your whole being.
(06:37):
In today's meditation, we are going to practice letting the body breathe on its own and follow its own course and practice opening our inner awareness to whatever sensation arises and to whatever experience unfolds. We're going to practice remaining objective, but caring and interested in the sensations that come and the sensations that go. We are also going to practice controlled breathing as a way to slow down and enter into an engaged, focused, and connected interstate. If it's uncomfortable to breathe through your nose for whatever reason, no worries, no judgment, simply open your mouth slightly and sip the air through your lips. Let us begin our journey As your body breathes, notice where you might be holding tension along your breath's way. Maybe you have tension in your facial muscles, a clenched jaw, a tightened throat, or maybe you're holding your chest rigid and closed. How about your belly? Are you holding that in? If you notice any tension, see if you can relax or soften that area of the body. Just let everything go, and in this way, release the body and let the body breathe freely. If your mind wanders, bring it right back. Gently though to your breathing body,
(08:39):
Maybe noticing what tension may have arisen in the body with the wandering mind. Release that tension too. Creating more space and more freedom for your body to breathe. A respiratory system is unique. Our body breathes whether we pay attention or not, but we also can manipulate our breathing by speeding it up, slowing it down. We can deepen the breath or breathe in short bursts. We can control our breathing to bring heat and energy into the body or to cool the body and relax in safety. The breath brings more help, happiness and vitality to our lives. In this unique way, continue to pay attention or direct your attention to your breathing body, letting it breathe today. If you sense a need to control or find yourself trying to regulate your breathing, see if you can release this need and surrender to your body and let your body breathe on its own using its own intelligence, its own wisdom to determine what is necessary in this moment. Continuing to relax and trust your body. Let it lead. Follow its lead. And notice with an open awareness and a mind free of judgment, what unfolds? What sensations are there? What do you discover as you relax and trust your body?
(10:55):
Can you sense a moment of peace, a river of calm? What is it like to be here and experience your breathing body, relief, freedom. Maybe you're noticing resistance to letting go and letting your body lead anything and everything is okay, but if anything becomes too intense or too distracting, simply notice that with a non analytical mind and return your attention to the flow of your breath and the rhythm of your breathing body. Just start anew in this moment, watching the body. Inhale and sensing the body. Exhale.
(11:59):
Let's take five relaxing breaths to calm our minds and our bodies. In preparation for more meditation, we'll be breathing in a pattern where our exhale is longer than our inhale. A pattern of four counts for the inhale and six counts for the exhale. If this pattern is uncomfortable for you or causes any unnecessary tension, simply focus on slowing down your exhale. Let's begin. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Go ahead and release that pattern of breathing and let your body return to its own rhythm of breath. Now bring your attention to the physicality of your breathing body. Noticing how the breath begins in your core by the diaphragm extending down into your belly. And as it does, notice how the lungs expand and draw air in through the nostrils or the lips, transforming the air around you to the breath inside of you. Maybe you can sense the sinuses regulating the temperature and humidity of the incoming air, and then following it as it goes down your throat and trachea like a straw into the lungs. Can you sense how the lungs work to pull the air deeper so as to nourish your blood with oxygen? And can you sense the heart pumping this nourishment out into your body?
(15:10):
And can you sense on the exhale, the diaphragm releasing to help the lungs push the byproducts of your respiration back out into the air around you. Byproducts that other parts of nature use your body. Your breath becomes the world's breath and the world's breath becomes your breath all flowing in perfect circulation inside and outside your body. Spend a few moments with this flow, this life-giving and life sustaining circulation of breath.
(16:23):
The process of breathing is complex, yet we can experience the simplicity of its peacefulness. If we teach ourselves to tune in to practice releasing our bodies from the demands that can come from the doing and striving and achieving that are a part of our lives. We can practice letting go, allowing the breath and the breathing body to be in a state of being and to allow ourselves to be there too. Nothing to do, nowhere to go. Just being here in this moment with our breathing body as it creates and moves our breath and as it creates and moves the energy of our lives. As you sit here or lay here in this moment, continue to allow the body to breathe on its own rhythm. And at the same time, allow yourself to connect with the nourishment and the aliveness, the vitality that your breathing body brings to your whole being. Begin to focus your attention on feelings and sensations of love and gratitude, warmth and tenderness for your breathing body. And the amazing gift your breath is if you find your mind has wandered, remember, just bring your attention right back, no judgment. Just bring it right back to this beautiful river of peace and energy flowing through your body. Bring your attention back to your breath.
(18:46):
And now we're going to practice a breathing pattern where the inhale and the exhale are the same length. This balanced breathing helps calm the nervous system and helps bring us to a state of calm, focus and connection. We will be inhaling to a count of five and exhaling to a count of five. If this pattern creates stress or strain for you, simply find a count that works for you and your body, such as inhaling and exhaling to a count of three or four. Let's begin. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Now let your body return to its own breathing rhythm and open your awareness to the sensations that that flow created, letting yourself remain detached and just simply let the sensations come and go as they will, and let any thoughts do the same. Let them come and let them go.
(21:33):
Our next breathing pattern is a box pattern. We'll inhale, hold, exhale and hold all with a count of four. Again, if this is difficult for you or creates some stress and strain in your body, just simply watch your breath come and go. So let's begin. Inhale 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold to three, four. Inhale to three, four. Hold to three, four, exhale to 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, hold to three, four. Once again, let the body return to its own breathing rhythm and experience the sensation this breathwork has created for your body and mind. If your mind wanders off, bring it right back to the sensations of your body breathing and the experience this has created. Your breath and breathing body connect you to the world and connects the world to you. As humans, we all breathe the same way air, no matter where we're living, what country part of the globe, our breath also connects us to the natural world, the animals that breathe the same air, and the plants that use the byproducts of our breath. The CO2 take a few moments to feel that connection and experience the gratitude for this living and giving connection.
(25:29):
As we enter the final moments of our meditation, we will spend a few minutes in Shavasana. If you would like to adjust your position, go ahead and do so now, but honor the peace and tranquility that our work has created in your body today. So go ahead and adjust if you would like. I invite you to take a deep inhale without any strain or tension, and then let that exhale happen as slowly as possible. And as you come to the end of your exhale, relax your body, let go and let the floor cushion or chair support you. And now with each exhale, release more and more. Let go more and more until you feel like butter melting into the floor. And become that butter, warm and glowing, happy, relaxed, flowing, floating. Continue to let go. Continue to let the floor or the chair cushion support you. No need to hold on to anything. Just surrender quietly. Return your awareness and your attention to the flow of your breath and the rhythm of your breathing body. Quietly and gently return your awareness as if you are tiptoeing back in not disturbing your body's pace and your peace.
(29:07):
As this meditation comes to a close, take a few moments to savor this experience. The experience of taking the time to let the body breathe and to connect purposefully with your breath and the experience of what unfolded for you. Now begin to bring and breathe gentle movement back into your body and let this movement bring your attention back to your presence on your mat or your cushion or chair, and become aware of you in your room and aware of anybody else that might be sharing this space with you in real life or virtually. And now when you're ready and without disrupting your body's rhythm, gently open your eyes and may you carry this peace with you throughout the remainder of your day. Namaste.