Voice, breath, and body – the tools for dipping into the deep wellspring of inner peace are right here, right now. Slow down and explore four of my favourite ways of staying grounded in the body and infusing it with light – Music and Mystery, Tibetan Toning, Heart Breath, and Radiant Heart Yoga.

Photo by Leigh Hilbert

1. Music and Mystery

When we connect with sound and music with a heart-opening intention, we are balanced, energized…transformed!

Begin by sitting or lying down comfortably, breathing deeply, and consciously releasing tension in your body. Stream or  Download and listen to a relaxing song of oneness, like Mystery, allowing the music to sink into your pores. Prepare to go on a mind/body/spirit-harmonizing journey of sound discovery.

Photo by Leigh Hilbert

2. Tibetan Toning – a Journey through the Chakras
© 2011 Oona McOuat

This exercise is magical. An amazing singer and voice teacher, Ralph Cole, taught it to me a long, long time ago. He said it was rooted in the traditions of Tibet. Over the years, I have shared it all over the planet with folks of all ages, and we always emerge with soft eyes and open hearts.

It is done in sets of seven but if time is a constraint, you can do it in sets of three.

• 1. Lie or sit comfortably. Take seven deep in and out breaths, watching your belly rise and fall.
• 2. Breathe into the root chakra (energy center) located at your tailbone. I like to feel and visualize lava and the colour red. Tone “oo” like “good” seven times.
  

Photo by Leigh Hilbert

• 3. Take seven resting breaths
• 4. Breathe into the 2nd chakra (energy center) located just below your belly button. I like to feel and visualize fire and the colour orange. Tone “u” like “true” seven times.
• 5. Take seven resting breaths.
• 6. Breathe into the 3rd chakra (energy center) located in your solar plexus. I like to feel and visualize the sun and the colour yellow. Tone “o” like “hope” seven times.
• 7. Take seven resting breaths.
• 8. Breathe into the 4th chakra (energy center) located in your heart. I like to feel and visualize a field and the colour green. Tone “aw” like “awe” seven times.
• 9. Take seven resting breaths.
• 10. Breathe into the your thymus, along your breastbone between your heart and throat. I like to feel and visualize a rose and the colour pink. Tone “ah” like you are sinking into a warm bath, seven times.
• 11. Take seven resting breaths.
• 12. Breathe into the 5th chakra (energy center) located in your throat. I like to feel and visualize a waterfall and the colour blue. Tone “ay” like “play” seven times.
• 13. Take seven resting breaths.
• 14. Breathe into the 6th chakra (energy center) located in the middle of your forehead (your 3rd eye). I like to feel and visualize a starry night sky and the colour indigo. Tone “i” like “illuminate” seven times.Photo by Leigh Hilbert
• 15. Take seven resting breaths.
• 16. Breathe into the 7th chakra (energy center) located at the top of your head on your crown. I like to feel and visualize heavenly light and whatever colour feels right – iridescent swirling rainbow, gold, silver, white….. Tone “ee” like “free” seven times.
• 17.  Gently open your eyes.

3. Heart Breath

Do you want to soothe your jagged edges, release stress, shift the energy in your body,  a room or a relationship?

With a couple of minutes and some focussed breathing, explore these three techniques and experience how easy it is to transform tension and conflict by accessing the powerful, glowing beauty of your heart.

A. Heart Breath – Fast & Sweet

Sometimes it just takes a little to change a lot…
Restoring ease and connection just takes a minute and can be done anytime and anywhere. The basic Heart Breath exercise is a powerful emotion refocusing technique that releases stress, balances emotions, and helps you feel good fast!

1. Focus – Gently focus your attention on and in the area of your heart.
2. Breathe – Pretend your breath is flowing in and out through your heart. Inhale through your heart (to a count of five or six), and slowly and easily exhale out through your heart (to a count of five or six). Do this until your breathing feels smooth and flowing.
3. Feel – As you continue to breathe through the area of your heart, generate gratitude, a heartfelt thank you. Let grace flood you with sweetness as you continue your heart focussed breath.

B. Deep Peace Breath

In a couple of minutes, diffuse tension and conflict, spread peace and clarity, and soften calcified attitudes and perceptions as you harmonize the energy between the heart, the mind and the body. This is a great breath to channel towards generating a specific desired shift in any situation.

1. Breathe in, focussing on your heart. Breathe out, focussing on your solar plexus.
2. Choose a positive feeling or attitude to breathe in and out through these areas for another 30 seconds or more.
3. You may select attitudes that will help balance the emotional energy of a specific situation you would like to transform – breathing courage, forgiveness, authenticity, joy, light…. ‘til you are a beacon of Deep Peace.

C. Big Love Breath

In 15 minutes, the Big Love Breath fills you with physical, mental and spiritual regeneration, as you dive into the depths of your own beautiful heart.

1. Focus on and breathe into your heart.
2. Generate a feeling of love and appreciation by focusing on someone or something that you truly love. Breathe with that feeling for about 15 minutes.
3. As that feeling of love and appreciation washes over you, gently send it out to anyone or anything that needs a little Big Love.

© 2011 Oona McOuat

The above exercises were adapted from Heart Health – Heart Coherent Meditation by Luis S.R. Vas

4. Radiant Heart Yoga

I do this 35-minute practice developed by Shiva Rea daily– I love how it combines toning and meditation with yoga  – and am amazed at how beautifully it shifts my mood, energy and perspective.