Imagine bouncing on a trampoline - in super slow mo…
Notice how, when you bounce, there’s a moment when you’re suspended in mid-air. At the top of the bounce, you start to slow down as gravity takes hold & then you hang for a moment, weightless, still before you accelerate into your descent.
When you land, the trampoline stretches and once again you start to decelerate & then there’s that moment at the bottom where you’re compressed - heavier than you really are. Once again there’s a moment where you transition from falling to being propelled into the air. You accelerate again as the trampoline (temporarily) overcomes gravity.
Now with the breath
You can use this visualisation to help you find the feeling you're looking for when you are breathing. Try laying on your back and breathing with the same feeling as jumping on a trampoline.
Inhale
To bounce on a trampoline you have to get yourself started. There’s an active part. You have to jump. It’s similar with breathing.
The active part of the breath is the inhale. You draw the diaphragm down to create space which brings air through the nose & into the lungs, expanding the stomach. As you fill your lungs, imagine you’re soaring into the air.
At the ‘top’ of the inhale, like at the top of the bounce, the breath slows. There is a moment of stillness. A quiet, weightless moment (where you hang in the air) as you smoothly transition from inhaling to exhaling. It doesn’t really stop, but time slows down before the exhale begins & we start to accelerate into the ‘descent’. Savour this.
Exhale
The exhale is like your descent. You simply let go. Let gravity do the work. Relax & allow the air to escape from your lungs. At the end of the exhale (as you land) you once again experience a slowing down. A moment where you feel your weight multiplied.
You feel heavy, relaxed, calm. Again, savour this still moment of gentle transition.
Then up you go again as you ease into the inhale & begin the cycle once more. Enjoy.