A breath token is a breathing exploration that I develop for friends & clients and send out as a gift.
In 2020 the breath tokens are about connecting breath and sound.
Vowel sounds, shapes and seeing
I‘ve been experimenting with sounding different vowels while doing a simple movement. For example: Lowering the body – sinking in the pelvis, bending the knees – and then rising up, raising the arms to the sides above the head and lowering them again. I did the movement with each vowel „A“, „O“, „E“, „U“, and „I“ five times with my eyes closed. After each vowel I rested to sense the effect and opened my eyes to register if and how my perception of my environment had changed. I was standing by the shore of the lake near where I live, surrounded by trees.
With „A“ I saw the lake and the trees „as far as the eye could see“, the whole picture, so to speak,
with „O“ it was more an oval image of what was directly in front of me,
with „U“ my eyes focussed downwards to the water and
with „I“ my eyes focussed upwards to the sky.
I thought and sounded the vowel as I was going with the flow of the movement, rather than trying to combine the movement with breathing.
Even though I had only done one simple movement, I had experienced my body and my environment in different ways, and it left me feeling well-rounded.
I realised I could do this with any movement, like bending down and coming up or swinging my arms, for example. Do try it out for yourselves.
Benefits I experienced were:
– Presence
– Stability
– Sense of being well-rounded
– Free-flowing breath movement
– Strength of breath movement
– Confidence
– Openness
There are surely other benefits for you to discover. If you have any questions or feedback please contact me.