Guest Author - Jen Blackert

If you ever have trouble with focus, concentration or mental clarity, you may want to try this simple pranayama meditation practice. It will stop your mental clutter from inundating you with stuff! That's right! Put your mental clutter in the trash or file it for later :)

Breathing practices (Pranayama) are perfect when you are learning meditation or even stress reduction. When we notice some of the natural rhythms in life like the breath or the heart, we feel more alive.

Here are five steps to get you started with a breathing practice or pranayama.

Step 1: Start paying attention to your breath. Notice the body as it breathes. Notice your chest, ribs, belly and lungs. Feel the breath moving inside the body. Feel the air moving in and out of the body. Feel as if you could flow and move like the breath. What would that feel like?

Step 2: Now, begin to change your breath. Move the breath from the upper chest to the belly. Move your belly when you breathe.

Step 3: Continue by making the inhalation and the exhalation the same length. You can explore a one-count breath in and out and then change the count to a two or three-count inhalation and exhalation.

Step 4: Next, you can slightly hold your breath at the end of the inhalation and at the end of the exhalation. This slight hold is when you count each breath. I have heard it called the breath inside the breath. For example, if you are counting 50 breaths you would finish the inhalation and then count �1� then exhale and continue after every inhalation count the next number until you reach 50.

Step 5: Lastly, holding the breath longer between the inhalation and exhalation. Count the seconds between each breath. Why? Holding the breath calms the nervous system and clears the mind.

Give it a try. Let me know how it works for you.

If you are reading this because you are have ongoing mental clutter or what I call dragons in your mind. Consider checking out my book. Seven Dragons: a guide to a limitless mind.