Mindfully Inviting Feminine Qualities Through Breathing

Although the following breath practice is very simple, it is incredibly effective. Using your breath mindfully will invite a quality to live within you, and as a result, you’ll express it naturally through you.

If one of the qualities listed above resonates with your heart, choose it for the practice. If not, please select a different quality you would like to embrace. For instance, a few days ago I felt frustrated and thwarted by circumstances beyond my control; as a result, I was impatient beyond belief. Because of the way I felt, choosing to breathe in patience was a no-brainer.

Unlike some of the more meditative practices, this one can be done anywhere. I did it while driving. The simple steps are:

Choose a quality you would like to embody.

Become aware of your breath.

As you inhale, imagine the quality being drawn deeply into your body and spirit. (It sometimes helps to give the quality a color. For me, patience was a muted salmon color.)

As you exhale, breathe out any resistance you may be holding toward anything—the practice, the quality, circumstances, whatever…

Consciously and deeply breathe in your chosen quality for at least a few full breaths.

Excerpted from The Woman's Book of Mindfulness by Sue Patton Thoele. Available on Amazon.