When you greet the new day, you open yourself to the energies of the Source. As you will recall if you have ever watched someone asleep, nighttime and daytime breathing rhythms are different. By gently aligning your breathing rhythm to the rhythms of the new day, this exercise awakens all your systems to the new cycle brought by daylight.
Practice the exercise outside when you can, but it is perfectly all right to practice it indoors too. Here, seven breaths of greeting are sent out to the seven directions of East, South, West, North, Above, Below, and Within. At the beginning of a new day, you take in the energy of each of the seven directions.
- Either standing or sitting, face the direction of the dawn, the place of the rising sun (East). Use your breath to relax your body. Become aware of your feet and their contact with the ground. Feel your connection to the Earth.
- Give thanks for the previous night. Be aware that the Source of energy, and the promise of each day, is within you.
- Feel the air around you. Become aware of your breath and the fresh air entering your nostrils and your lungs. Note how your whole body enjoys the breath of the new day.
- As you breathe slowly and naturally, raise your arms above your head, as if lifting them up to the sun.
- In this position of thanks and greeting, inhale and visualize the life force in the air moving into your physical body and your energy field.
- With your next breath, breathe in the energies of direction East. Exhale.
- Turn sunwise (clockwise) to face the South. Breathe in the energies of direction South. Exhale.
- Turn sunwise to face the West. Breathe in the energies of direction West. Exhale.
- Turn sunwise to face the North. Breathe in the energies of direction North. Exhale.
- Turn sunwise once more to face the East. Raising your head to acknowledge the sky, breathe in the energies of direction Above. Exhale.
- Bowing your head to acknowledge the Earth, breathe in the energies of direction Below. Exhale.
- Lower your arms and cross them over your heart center. Breathe in and acknowledge the energies of direction Within. Exhale.
- Enjoy this state of harmony for a few moments before resuming your everyday activities.
If you are able to practice the exercise outside, notice the world around you as you calmly take your breaths. Feel the renewal of your sacred connection with life. Acknowledge the other life-forms that may be present.
— Jack Angelo in Self-Healing with Breathwork