In celebration of Return of the Jedi turning 30 this year, Jen wanted to share her favorite relaxation technique.  We know it sounds a little hokey, but you don’t need a high midichlorian count to use this calming technique.

Jedi Calming Breath Technique

Step One – Controlled Breathing

• Lie flat on your back. Put one hand on your stomach, and the other hand on your chest. Relax.
• Inhale so that the hand on your stomach rises, while the hand on your chest is still. Exhale so that the hand on your stomach goes down again, and the hand on your chest remains still. Repeat for 5 breaths.
• Now, when you inhale, breathe in so that the hand on your chest rises, while the hand on your stomach is still. Exhale so that the hand on your chest goes down again, while the hand on your stomach remains still. Repeat for 5 breaths.
• Alternate between stomach and chest breathing for 5 minutes. Make sure you’ve mastered this step before moving on.

Step Two – The Calming Breath

• This step combines stomach and chest breathing into one breath. This is the Calming Breath.
• Lie flat on your back. Put one hand on your stomach, and the other hand on your chest. Relax.
• Begin by stomach breathing. When you feel you can’t inhale any more in this manner, switch to chest breathing, until the upper part of your lungs are filled. Then exhale by chest breathing first, progressing to stomach breathing so that you empty the lungs fully. Repeat for 5 minutes.
• Breathe slowly. If you feel dizzy, slow down, you are breathing too fast. If you are out of breath, you are breathing too slowly. Listen to your own body’s messages. If you are having difficulty distinguishing chest breathing from stomach breathing, go back to Step One.

Step Three

• Stand or sit with your back straight.
• Use the Calming Breath and follow this pattern. You will have to count the rhythm in your head. Count to 4 while inhaling, hold your breath and count to 4, then count to 4 while exhaling. Once you’ve mastered this you may use a 4-4-4-4 rhythm is you prefer. It adds and extra step of holding your breath after exhaling and counting to 4. Take care not to hold your breath too long. Again, listen to your body. Repeat for 5 minutes, or until you are calm.

Meditation technique

• Sit in on the floor, or on a cushion, with the spine and neck kept straight . Place your hands in your lap, palms upward.
• Relax your entire body deeply and quickly, using the Calming Breath Technique. After you are relaxed, regulate your breathing to a calm and peaceful rate.
• If you are using a physical object, focus your vision on the object, otherwise close your eyes.
• Begin to shut out distractions (noises, etc.), as you focus your attention inward. Try to keep your thoughts from wandering, shutting out stray thoughts.
• Concentrate your thoughts upon the object of your meditation.
• Practice these steps until you are able to concentrate on the object without distraction.