There are 4 essential pillars here, provided in these movements. They represent the microcosm of our experience: movement, breath, gravity, and the word.
There are 2 more elements to consider: the interchange of ebb and flow, tension and release, forces that constitute our essential physiological experience of life. Therefore, the process has been developed to utilise all the pillars to foster openness and the ability to observe freer physiological and mental detritus we may accumulate without awareness.
Designed, therefore, also to change our focus to the nature of experience itself, to connect us. A modern man in a technocratic dogma daze may choose to align himself with the latest pathetic moralfag arguments or political stories. We have tools to remove ourselves and attenuate the physically destructive cascades this lifestyle induces.
The sources of these exercises are primarily ancient; some are relatively new, derived from such sources as Wilhelm Reich and various modern yogas. However, I've found this template and order to enable one to derive the maximum benefit with the least amount of work. From a scientific perspective, there is nothing original here; the physical elements are designed to saturate the body with oxygen and the musculature with blood and to balance the autonomic nervous system and its forces.
It is indeed possible to make the eyes more lively, more active. Breaking habitual patterns of the face. So much of our brain capacity and self-perception is tied up in the face. In some sense, we are attempting to break this self-perception and to "loosen it up," thereby opening one up to the day and other modes of being aside from the often self-defeating, or self-diminishing, habitual ways.
There are more complex versions of the eye and face exercises; however, they are too powerful and potentially dangerous to list here without deeper understanding and practice. They require context proper context.
The set of exercises should, all in all, take no longer than 5-6 minutes and mostly can be done before you've arisen from bed. They can be combined with any other favourite routine, such as a morning walk or Hara work recently published on this blog.
Finally, these are energetic morning exercises; they are not a panacea.
Materials:
Metronome is optional, depending on the style of breathing. This will be available soon through a gumroad course I'm releasing.
Relaxing music if desired (this will be part of materials provided above)
Small handheld mirror
Setting:
Immediately upon waking up. In a comfortable position. If the season is right, I may perform the below in a meditational pose outside in the backyard. Always immediately upon waking up. This window is essential for various neurophysiological reasons. Thus you benefit most when performed almost immediately upon waking.
Music is ok, so long as it isn't distracting and enhances the overall experience. I often use something like a binaural beat, for example. You're better off doing this in your birthday suit. However, if you must wear clothing, keep it minimal.
For the shower part, I recommend combining the gag reflex with the shower for obvious reasons. I combine it with cold showers myself. If you do this, you will enhance the "supercharged" nature of the energy you feel.
Finally, it is essential to remember the exercises' nature as "energetic" instead of "relaxing." Through experience, you will start to notice the distinction.
Part 1 - Breath:
As with any other yogic practice, the key is breath and oxygenation of tissues. I suggest 2 energetic methods of breathing below.
Style 1 - Hyperventilation & Retention
No counting is required for this tummo/Wim Hof style of breathwork. Simple breathing in through the mouth deeply, not forcing any ancillary musculature, and expelling the breath without forcing it. The key is to retain some breath and not expel the breath completely, thereby inducing mild hyperventilation.
Once you've managed a 40 count, take one final inhalation/exhalation and completely empty your lungs. Watch yourself and how long you can go without oxygen. It is essential to relax and observe your body. Once you cannot go any longer, breathe in a large inhalation of air and hold.
You will feel your heart pushing blood throughout your musculature. If you feel points of habitual tension, this is an excellent opportunity to relax those areas and allow the blood to flow through them. Exhale again completely. Repeat this process x1 more time. Make sure you facilitate the course of blood through your body, particularly sections of tension, like the throat. You will note the effect that these areas become more supple. Repeat this entire process 3 more times. I suggest 3 rounds, each of about 1:20 per round. However, lengthen at your leisure.
Style 2 - Traditional Pranayama in Abdominal Style
There are several pranayama styles, focusing on different segments of the lungs. However, we have found abdominal breathing most appropriate for this. You are welcome to change as you see fit. Remember firstly to relax your whole body. To start, take a few breaths while placing one hand on the front of the abdomen on the navel. Using the abdominal muscles, breathe in deeply and feel that you are indeed breathing in with the abdomen by use of your hand - adjust as necessary. Once you have a natural rhythm and are confident of depth, take a moment to remember not to use any ancillary muscles, i.e. those of the chest, neck, or shoulders - as an example - and deliberately relax them and disengage them. Many people are so tense and uptight it may take time to be able to do this.
Breathing in and expanding the muscles in the abdomen, on the exhalation, contract the muscles until all oxygen is expelled. Think of the contraction of the navel towards the spine. Repeat this process until you are happy with the above points.
This style makes use of the 4-fold breathing style, that is, inhale silently, counting 1, 2, 3, 4, hold, using the 4-count, and then exhale, doing the same. I have an old metronome I sometimes use for this purpose of timing. More recently, I have created several accompanying mp3 files to make this easier, to train your breathing according to specific timings. As mentioned, these will be made available soon.
Otherwise, you can count - 1, 1000 2, 1000 etc, to mimic the 4 seconds. This may take a little more effort due to difficulties with focus.
Continue for 30 cycles, exhale, and relax for 10-20 seconds. Then start another round - x2 rounds of 30 4-fold breath cycles.
This is the style I tend to favour. I will be releasing some essays on why timing breathing is so important and how, when done correctly, they can balance the interaction of the autonomic nervous system. More on that in the coming weeks.
Part 2 - Stretch and Leg Drop
Once rounds of breath are completed, take one deep abdominal breath in. Raise your legs into the air once you've fully inhaled, and hold both legs up mid-way into the air, retaining the breath. Do this for as long as possible. Once you cannot retain, without any assistance, simply use gravity to let your legs fall and release your breath naturally. Without pushing it, let your diaphragmatic reflex automatically breathe in. The feeling of ease here is essential; this is, in fact, the way your breath should feel. Repeat twice.
Finally, take the following pose, a yoga pose known as the "fish pose" or "Matsyasana." If you've never done it before, google it and practice it.
The Fish pose
Take the fish pose position, and start breathing so you feel all the muscles in your abs, chest, and neck stretch. Since we sit chronically slumped over, you will probably feel significant tension as you do this pose and retain rhythmic breathing. As you breathe, imagine the blood pumping through all these areas of tension. My main point of tension is my throat; I use the breath reflex to stretch the throat area. Once sufficient time has gone by or until you are no longer comfortable, simply drop your body into a normal position. You should feel blood pumping all through your chest, throat, and face. This is the desired effect. I hold the fish pose for about 30 seconds.
Part 3 - Body Awareness
Once you've dropped from the fish pose, spend about 30 seconds to 1 minute on body awareness. Simply observe all the sensations, and keep your breath. Do nothing. So not move. The prior exercises should have created some pleasurable sensations and releases of tension. Simple observe and feel your body.
Part 4 - Face & Eye Awareness
I have written on the neurophysiological importance of the face in other essays. See the maha series. I won't go into why here. Needless to say, this is a great morning exercise.
The first part of the exercise is to take your handheld mirror and hold it in front of your face. For some people, this can be pretty jarring or disconcerting. The practice is challenging but straightforward - stare into the mirror until you feel you are looking at another person. Hold this for 30 seconds to a minute.
The second part is to stretch your face. The face has many muscles, and thus there are 100's of combinations of facial expressions. Looking into the mirror, make a facial expression, and hold it still. You will find this difficult at first. Hold for a few seconds. Once done, maintain the facial expression you had - and move on to the next one you want to make - and here is the key - once you've made another, at this time, you are to release the prior expression. If you make a stretch/grimace with one side of your face, ensure your next face is the opposite side, and so on.
Remember, hold that side, grimace the other side in the same manner - at this point, you may release. In this manner, you move from facial position to facial position. It is crucial to relax all muscles not used in your facial expression. You may find your breathing stalls, or you start engaging neck muscles or others. If you catch yourself, gently correct these things. Continue this for as long as you wish.
The final part of the exercise is to look at the mirror, focusing on your eyes. Take account of the following attitudes/emotions:
Anger, Jealousy, Spite, Lust, Happiness, Joy, Love, fear, etc. You may want to write your own down to add to this list. Keeping your face relaxed and looking into the mirror, using your eyes muscles only, and keeping the face relaxed, try to replicate each of these emotions. Hold each for a short while.
All muscles tensed to a single point...
To finish off, we use the Homer Simpson Sour Candy Face. Imagine a centre point to your face around the nose. Try to push all the muscles of your face into this centre point, like it's being sucked into a black hole of some sort. Do it as hard as possible, holding every muscle you can in the face into this point. Hold tight and still, without any muscles moving, for 10 seconds and simply release using gravity.
Part 6 - Prayer
Simply choose a prayer for the day, an inspiring prayer that is appropriate for you. I don't use affirmations, as I find them uninspiring and petty. However, there is no reason you could not employ an affirmation. The purpose here is to align yourself with the great WOAH. Not to try to "obtain something." Simply recite it, and be receptive to whatever occurs.
Part 7 - Gravity & Movement for the Shower
As I said before, it is best to combine this section, at least the final step, with a shower. If you don't want to shower, you can simply omit the last section.
Step 1 - Hold Shoulders up
Raise your shoulder to your ear level or as close as possible. Your arms should be straight down your side, limp, as you use your traps and shrug your shoulders with as much tension as you can muster. Hold them there for 30 seconds, and let gravity take its course, drop them without assisting gravity.
Step 2 - Hold shoulders back
As above, stretch your shoulders back, using your back muscles. Your shoulder blades should connect for this exercise. Hold them there with as much tension as possible for 30 seconds, and again, without any physical coercion, simply allow gravity to drop them.
Step 3 - Hold your arms out.
In the manner of an infant holding his arms out to a parent, do the same thing as with prior exercises. 30 seconds, and then drop limp, allowing all muscles to relax.
Step 4 - Hold shoulder forward
This is the opposite of "hold shoulder back." Shrug them forwards and go through the same process. Always 30 seconds.
Step 5 - Jumping up
After the 4 should exercises are complete, jump up a little into the air. However, on landing, you must "trust gravity" and allow your body to land and support itself. This will be hard at first. You will notice all kinds of attempts to facilitate the landing; try to do it, so you land while your skeletal system holds itself up and ensure no muscular involvement. Just let your body kind of hit the ground in a relaxed state. Upon trying this a few times, you will start to get a notion of the ideal. I repeat this for about 6 jumps, with some time in between, of course, to really feel the effect of gravity.
Step 6 - gag-reflex
This one will be challenging for some people. However, it is the most powerful. It is potent in releasing tension from the chest, neck, throat, and of course, the diaphragm. Reichian therapists often use this, so I reproduce the methodology here. Also, note it is challenging to practice correctly. Take a strong note of all the points below, and try to make it a little better every day. My experience with this, despite my initial reservations, is that it will clear your head and completely energise you.
You may think it's gay or whatever else. Still, you should remember a few things about this reflex and neuromuscular tension.
The reflex is just that and automatic movement. Many cannot even do this, however, for many reasons. Attitudes impressed on them as children, for example, stunting what is effectively a natural reflex when sick. Like any other movement of the body or reflex, especially a critical one, in a healthy physiological system, you should be able to perform it. Yet, 99% of people cannot.
You can induce the reflex in a few different ways. The first is pressure on the back of the tongue, and The second is touching the back of the throat. I find that hyperextension of the tongue can help with this process.
It is a reflex. It should be automatic. Don't force it. Like anything else above. The same attitude applies.
The induction of the gag reflex works with deep rhythmic breathing, as do all the above exercises, so please ensure to maintain this. On the exhale by the methods described above, attempt to induce a gag.
On the inhale, make sure you do not induce this reflex. So it is: exhale fingers in, inhale fingers out. This may be extremely difficult for some people.
There is another key here - do not make any sound. Perhaps you've heard a girlfriend or a drunk friend vomiting on the sidewalk make this sound with all sorts of disgusting noises accompanying. However, the key here is to allow the muscular reflex without the surrounding tension in your musculature. Intense sounds such as "ugh", "argh" or similar tend to indicate that you are constricting or holding your throat and not allowing the reflex to properly occur - the purpose is, of course, to let it happen without holding or restraint.
The gag should be allowed to proceed with an open throat. There should be no sound with the gag; instead, the only permitted sound is a soft "uh" that may occur with the gag.
Finally, don't overdo it. With rhythmic breathing, a couple of minutes in the shower with about 4-5 rounds is plenty. Keeping all these things in mind, keep practising until you can simply allow the reflex without noise and muscular constriction. You will notice several effects from this:
A remarkable easing of tension throughout the throat and chest
Your eyes will water and feel clear and energised.
In the shower, you will clear out a large amount of phlegm and other buildups, which are incredibly beneficial. You will clear the sinuses of buildups very effectively.
You will correct the physiological complexes and tension patterns that occur during childhood. If you cannot perform smoothly, this indicates all the more reason to release your reflex to function as it would in any well-adjusted human being, free from extreme tension in the musculature.
So there you have it - better than a cup of coffee and, over time, extremely powerful in changing mood and neurology.
Keep an eye out for my new breathing tools and exposition on my new theory of "Counterbalance Breathing" techniques. And yes, it absoloutely is an adjunct to the Hara techniques.
Fish pose feels absolutely horrible. Feel nauseous right now.