This is episode 634 of the Daily Meditation Podcast.

I'm Mary Mechley, and welcome back to day three of our series.

This is a series to explore your mind-body connection, and I'm offering a 30-minute guided meditation experience for this week.

Now this is a series that I recorded six years ago, so it was when I was newer to recording meditations, but I really enjoyed researching this series, and I hope you enjoy the information, especially if you are wanting to heal your body physically or to heal your mind or your nervous system emotionally.

This is a great series that will inspire you.

As your meditation technique for today, you're going to be guided in what I call the instant om breath.

This is a breathing technique where you inhale to a certain number, you hold it for that same number, and then you exhale for that same number count, and you do it that same number of times.

So you might start off by inhaling to the count of three or four if you're not really used to doing breathing techniques.

That might be all you're ready for, and then you would hold it for four, exhale for four, and you would do it four times.

Now if you are pretty adapt at doing breathing techniques, go ahead and hold the breath for a little bit longer, even to the count of eight.

See if over time, meaning a couple weeks time, you could do the same breathing technique and do it to the count of twelve.

Now that is actually your challenge for this week.

You have a challenge this week, just as you do every single week.

Your challenge for this week is to do this breathing technique every day, set aside at least ten minutes to do this breathing technique.

You'll be surprised at how well your body and your brain function after doing this technique.

So I usually do this technique in the afternoon.

I like to lie down, place my hand on my abdomen to make sure that when I inhale, my abdomen is gently rising upward, and as I exhale, my stomach abdominal area is gently sinking back downward.

And this is a true, deep belly breath.

This is a way that truly oxygenates your entire body.

So you could do this for yourself during that midday slump, and you might think, oh, probably fall asleep if I sit down or lay down and do this breathing technique.

And you might, but what you'll find with your breath is that your breath energizes you at the same time as it calms your mind.

This is what is so unique about meditation because it activates that prefrontal part of your loaves of your brain, and it calms this area.

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