Healing Breath with Dr. Steven T. Castille

Healing Breath

Guide: Dr. Steven T. Castille

“Using the breath promotes relaxation and healing.”

Introduction

Find a comfortable place to practice your meditation, perhaps outside (weather and privacy permitting) and maybe a couple of places inside. You may lie down or sit, as you prefer, so long as your spine, neck, and head are in a straight line and your whole body is relaxed. Lighting a candle, ringing a bell, burning some incense, or playing some soothing music can be used to signal that your meditation time has begun. Holding a rose quartz or an amethyst, or having a cross or any symbol or stone meaningful to you nearby can also be an aid in meditation. This is a favorite meditation in my Sacred Ceromonies classes because of the wonderful relaxation and sense of well-being that it engenders.

The Journey

When you are ready to begin, assume your comfortable position with any of the aids to meditation you care to use (or none, if that is your preference). 

Close your eyes and begin to breathe very slowly and very deeply. As you keep your thoughts on your breathing, tune out all sensory perceptions. As other thoughts enter your mind to vie for your attention, gently acknowledge them and allow them to pass

out of your mind as you silently witness any emotional or mental reaction. Your spiritual self, your higher self, your “God self” is completely in control now and your worldly self

and thoughts have a “time out” during your meditations.

Your meditation time is the all-important appointment you have made with yourself for your spiritual centering and rejuvenation. Thus, when other thoughts come to mind,

acknowledge and release them consistently and with intent. Your quiet time now is top priority and when you return from your meditation, you will handle any responsibilities

you have, probably better, having had the time to be refreshed and centered physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually through the meditation.

Breathe slowly and deeply for the next several minutes. With every breath that you take, feel yourself becoming more and more relaxed. As you inhale, imagine filling the body with Light, and energy, and all that is positive. As you exhale, let go of everything, and know that you are releasing toxins from the body, all anxiety and frustrations, and any darkness, disease, or discomfort.

Inhalations and exhalations are equally important, so breathe in deeply all that is positive, and exhale just as deeply the negativity that you do not want or need. Turning your

thoughts within, focus all concentration on your breath. As you breathe in, breathe in God’s Light and Love and healing power; as you breathe out, release, relax, and let go, totally and completely.

Imagine a ball of white Light above your head. This is a sphere of swirling white Light, a healing Light. Imagine the top of your head opening as if it were a flower blossoming,

like a lotus flower. On your next inhalation, breathe in the white Light through the top of your head, and as the Light flows into your head and down through your neck and shoulders, it brings with it a warm feeling. As the warm white Light gradually fills your body, it moves down the arms and out the fingertips. Exhale when you need to. As you continue to inhale, continue to breathe in the Light, which continues its way down your body: the upper chest, down the back and spine, down the stomach and pelvic area, the hips, the thighs. The Light that you are bringing into your body is healing, balancing, rejuvenating every cell in your body – every organ, bone, muscle, tendon, tissue, joint, all the body fluids – every part of your body. If there is any part of your body where there is discomfort, focus the Light there until you can see that part of the body filled and surrounded in Light, and completely well, he aled and in harmony with the rest of the body. Continue breathing in the Light and seeing it moving down both legs, knees, calves, ankles, feet, and out the toes. See the body now as entirely filled with Light, and exhale, but continue to see the body full of Light, and peace, and love.

Again, breathe in deeply more of the Light so that the Light now not only fills the entire body, but also extends outward from the body a distance of several feet. See the body as filled and surrounded with this white, healing Light, which is protection, peace, love, and healing energy. Notice how you feel now. Take a deep breath and feel how relaxed you are.

Again, inhale, and give the body a good stretch as you tense every muscle in your body. Exhale and relax. Inhale and, again, stretch, tense every muscle as tightly as you can, and exhale and relax, let go. Be aware of your peaceful state and the deep sense of well-being that is a part of you. As you express gratitude for the benefits of the meditation you have just experienced, open your eyes. As you re-enter the world of human activity, feel a sense of renewal, a heightened consciousness, a wonderful sense of well being, which you can return to at any time simply by closing your eyes, taking a few very slow, deep breaths, and remembering the way you feel at this moment.