The difference between stages one and two
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Why the stages feel different
The reason is that where you place the numbers (or more accurately, where you think you’re placing the numbers) changes which part of the breath you’re most aware of. In the first stage, because you’re counting after the out-breath your mind links the counting with the out-breath.
Try taking a deep breath and letting it out. Go on, no-one’s watching. How does it feel? It feels like:
- letting go
- relaxing
- moving downward
- calming
Taking a deep out-breath (known to us professional breathers as “sighing”) is what we do when we let go of tension — you know, that moment you go “phew” when you wake up and find that you don’t have to go back to school to take the exam you’ve just been dreaming about.
Now in the second stage, you’re counting before the in-breath and so your mind links the number more closely to the act of breathing in. So what does breathing in feel like? Try it. Do a big inhalation (remember to breath out at some point). It feels like:
- expanding
- opening up
- rising
- energizing
So why is this important?
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