The Scanning Breath for a Better Life

Brief explanation of emotional baggage

Emotional baggage comes with all sorts of events in our lives. In fact, if you become highly skilled in the scanning breath, you will behind to notice that you are loaded with emotional baggage. Most of it is not disabling but we are all better off without that unnecessary baggage. I propose that almost all our experiences give us emotional baggage. The baggage is not all negative. There is lots of positive baggage too. If you want to live a lighter, freer life, getting rid of as much baggage as you can is the best way. You will not lose your memories. But the strings the memories have and pull on you will become fewer and fewer. The lightness of life without baggage is exhilarating.

Introduce the scanning breath as a technique for emotional release

The scanning breath is just a way of revisiting your past memories, and through the magical cleansing power of breathing, you can release old baggage. Your memories will become stronger and your life will gain a potent power of integrity as you become more connected with the events of your life.

What is the Scanning Breath?

Definition and overview

The scanning breath is a breathing and remembering technique designed to help you get rid of emotional baggage and gain great self awareness. It is a simple technique that you can practise almost anywhere. You don’t need special training or special equipment.

Origins and potential benefits

I read about various parts of the scanning breath and sort of put it together. I liked the idea of mediation but I always found it boring and I became impatient. The scanning breath is not boring because you are watching the most compelling movie of all … your own life! The power of breathing has been handed down for thousands of years and is central to some kinds of yoga. It is so powerful that in fact the navy seals even use breath training in theri program. The benefits are still being explored but include less emotional baggage, greater self awareness and self control, and a heightened sense of integrity with your own life. You can make peace with the past and move forward with more power and direction.

Preparation

###. Creating a list of emotionally charged events When you are getting ready to start, you need to choose an event. This is a memory that has strong feelings associated with it. The strong feelings will make it easier to remember. If you aren’t sure where to start, then make a list. This list is all the people that you can remember. You will have lots of emotional memories with all the different people in your life. Choose one person and make a list of some of the big things you remember doing with that person. That is a great starting point.

Finding a quiet, comfortable space

I like to find a nice comfortable place where no one will bother me. Sometimes that is in the living room with my family present. There is no requirement for you to be alone. But when I started I felt self conscious and went to a room by myself. That is perfectly fine. I usually sit on the floor but you can sit on a couch or chair just as well. A few days ago, I did the scanning breath while sitting on the train coming home from Tokyo. Just don’t lie down. It is difficult to rotate your head. Also you might fall asleep, and then you are not doing the scanning breath.

The Scanning Breath Technique: A Step-by-Step Guide

Closing your eyes and recalling an event

Then start working on the memories one by one. Close your eyes and recall the event.

Head position and breathing pattern

 #### Starting position (head to the right)

Start with your head facing over your shoulder. Either shoulder is fine but I always start facing to my right. #### Breathing in while scanning left Slowly start to breath in and scan your head to the left while you breath and remember what you can from that time. Keep your eyes closed. Don’t breathe in too fast, or too slow, or you will run out of breath in a while and make yourself tired. With practice you will find a rate that is best for you. #### Breathing out while scanning right When you are all the way facing left, start to breathe out and scan your head back to the right.

Focusing on sensory details and emotions

Your goal is to try to remember all the sensory details and feelings that you can from that time. Don’t worry if you can’t remember very much. That is perfectly natural in the beginning. Remember what you can. You may stop when you can’t remember more. For me, I always keep going a little longer and re-re-remember those memories. That is kind of unlocking the memories for next time. You have to be gently persistent. Don’t rush, and don’t worry if you don’t remember much but gently push yourself to remember just a little bit more.

Key Components of the Technique

Visual scanning (potential EMDR benefits)

The scanning happens by rotating your head. Your eyes are closed, but they will more around naturally as you rotate your head and try to remember things. You do not have to try to scan your eyes on purpose. This head rotation could possibly have an effect similar to EMDR which can help with strong emotions connected to past events.

Slow, controlled breathing (parasympathetic nervous system activation)

The breathing has a very well studied effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a soothing and calming feeling. That may help reset the emotions connected with memories by insistently calming the body when recalling those memories. The new feelings become attached to the memories and replace older strong emotions. This is just theory, however.

Recalling sensory details and emotions

By recalling memories slowly over weeks and months, your power of recall will get stronger and you will find yourself able to remember things that you had completely forgotten. Sometimes this will have a strong surprising effect, and you will start to feel more integrated with yourself and your past.

Developing Your Practice

Identifying bodily sensations linked to emotions

As you continue doing this, you will get better and better. You will start to notice more and more body feelings from the memories. This will help you to access other memories. You will also start to become more aware of body feelings in your day to day life. You will notice the thermometer of your body as you live each moment. This is very useful.

Using breath to diminish emotional intensity

Your abililty to control your breath gets better and better. You will be able to control your breath better in your day to day life, and you will moderate your reactions to all sorts of events in your daily life much better.

Potential Benefits of the Scanning Breath

Emotional release and baggage reduction

Your emotional baggage is all those feelings that remain in you after an event, or a stage of your life has passed. The scanning breath will help you rediscover those events. You will be able to diffuse them safely in the comfort of your home, and at the pace that you choose. It is a slow process but after a certain point you will find your progress going faster and faster.

Improved self-awareness

After a few years of this practice you will find yourself becoming more aware of your feelings than ever before. You will have a small part of you that can watch yourself getting angry or excited or worried. That will give you the extra insight to deal with the situation right away rather than being carried away with it.

Stress reduction and relaxation

You will be able to diffuse events soon after they happen. Youwill get so good that you can almost get rid of stress right after events if you have a few moments to spare.

Tips for Success

Consistency in practice

You can take breaks. Even a few weeks or a month. You won’t backslide. But you won’t go forward either. The best thing is to just keep going.

Patience and self-compassion

Sometimes after re-experiencing old events the mood of the old event might stay with you for a few minutes or hours. This is natural. It will wear off. In my case, about ten percent of the time I felt nausea from these scanning breath sessions but that always wore off within a few hours. Now, if I get those feelings, it wears off even faster, sometimes within twenty or thirty minutes.

Combining with other mindfulness techniques

I have found combining this scanning breath with occasional interopception meditation. This is a big fancy word for feeling the feelings of your body. For instance, you can put your attention on the feeling on your skill all over your body. Or perhaps you might choose to put your attention on the air going in your nose as you breath. You might instead put your attention on your heartbeat, or the feeling of the blood going through your veins. It is your choise but I have found it combines nicely with the scanning breath.

Precautions and Considerations

Dealing with intense emotions

As I mentioned earlier, sometimes the feelings from the past leave you with a sort of ‘hangover’ effect. If you feel the memories are somewhat strong, then use the scanning breath in small doses over days and weeks with that event. There is no need to rush it.

When to seek professional help

If you feel that any scanning breath work that you do is harmful to relations with people around you, or you can’t regulate your emotions within a normal range, or it affects your productivity at work, you should consider getting outside help from a professional. The scanning breath is not a replacement for professional help. The scanning breath is best for people within a ‘normal range’ of mental health, and not for people who have traumatic or deeply troubling problems.

Conclusion

Almost everybody has emotional baggage. Reducing our emotional baggage, gaining a greater integrity in your life and greater self awareness are three powerful motivations to start the scanning breath. Get started right away!