Bumble Bee Breath to Ease What Ails You
Inhale, MMMMMMMM. I practice bumble bee breath in tune with the army of leaf blowers who are clearing the common area where I live. I woke up depressed and out of sorts because of a number of things going on in my life. When the leaf blowers start too early their annoying high pitched hum makes things worse. Then a funny thing happened… As I sipped my first cup of coffee, barely awake, I inhaled and started humming to the pitch of the leaf blowers. Just like I teach in my I AM™ Yoga Nidra classes, the humming transports me away from my irritated thinking. For the past two months, I’ve been doing a daily Yoga Nidra practice. This is the first time it showed up unannounced with my morning coffee.
I notice. I think:
Recent hyperparathroidism diagnosis…Inhale, MMMMM.
Increased A1C readings …. Inhale, MMMMMM
Visual field baseline test for glaucoma tracking…. Inhale, MMMMMMM
Electric malfunction leaving me without my car….Inhale, MMMMMM
“Thanks. leaf blowers.” I say to myself. Each new inhale followed by that buzzing bee sound feels a bit funny. I realize that I’m now laughing instead of worst case thinking. My husband pops into the room to see what all the noise is about. (He’s been concerned by my recent anxiety and mood swings brought on by some new health issues.)
“Are you amusing yourself?” He asks, with possibly an afterthought of, “I better keep an eye on this…maybe she needs some anti-anxiety meds.”
“Yes, this is actually fun.” I giggle. “I found a bumble bee breath pitch to match the leaf blowers.” I return to the practice…
Feeling much more at ease… Inhale, MMMMMMM.
The sound the outdoor sound recedes as the landscape teams moves to another part of the community. Indoors, as the buzzing fades away so do fear, anxiety and worry. I’m feeling more relaxed and calm with the shadow of a chuckle still on my face.
Wanna try it for yourself? You don’t even need leaf blowers. Here’s how:
Settle into a comfortable seated or laying down position. Bring your hands toward your face allowing the thumbs to gently close off the flap just over the opening of your ear. Allow the palms and fingers to rest over the sides of the face with the finger tips resting on the forehead. Inhale deeply and exhale making the audile sound of a buzzing bee, varying the pitch. Repeat the practice a few times. Note how the vibration feels in the head. Notice how the breath may become deeper and you may begin to feel a sense of ease. After you’ve had enough buzzing, just pause before going back to your daily activities. Our thoughts and worries come and go just like the busy bee. Pause and smell the flowers, often!
