Vessel Of Voices’ Weblog

ELEMENT BREATHING ~ EARTH ~ WATER ~ FIRE ~ AIR

Energize Your Heart in 4 Dimensions by Puran & Susanna Bair

• Great Intro for Healthy Living & Balancing Emotions with Vision
• Ancient wisdom in Sufi tradition and early Christian Mysticism used Heart Rhythm Practice which included element breathing, sound healing, harmonizing breath (of life) with heart rhythms (essence and soul). 
• Ready for your life to Break Open? 
• Your Heart holds a Magnificence like light from Golden SUN

Vessel of Voices offers a Teleconference on Heart Rhythm for sensitive souls and those ready to live from the heart. Tuesday nights on conference call – Foundational practice thru October ~ offered again in 2010.

  http://www.vesselofvoices.com  or call Roxanna @ (763) 391-2764. 

Wishing you a Balanced, Happy Heart,    Roxanna

San Luis Obispo ~ 

Taking my first road trip in long while ~ on way to Tucson from San Rafael.

An immediate decision was made when I received info on a Sound Healing Retreat scheduled for 28-30th of August.(More to follow on Sound & Heart Rhythm later) So I ‘ran’ to Larkspur library, picked out 3 books on CD (my 2009 passion) & hit the road. YaYa Sisterhood entertained me all the way down US-101 S. Here’s a quote from one of the YaYas ~

Vivie to her daughter, Sidily ~  (said in a southern drawl, sultry & slow)

“I don’t have time to write my memoirs. I’m too busy living my memoirs.”

. . . . with more to come. Restaurant last night had Gumbo YaYa on menu

“WHOEVER CAN SWALLOW THE BREATH                                                                                                  LIKE THE TORTOISE                                                                                                                                            OR PULL THE BREATH IN AND CIRCULATE IT                                                                                          LIKE THE TIGER                                                                                                                                                    OR GUIDE AND REFINE THE BREATH                                                                                                     LIKE THE DRAGON                                                                                                                                                 SHALL LIVE A LONG AND HEALTHY LIFE.”

          2ND C.  Master Ge Heng      Alchemist and Immortal                                                                               

For those who have studied with me a while ago, the earth breath is similar to Essential Breath ~  long, deep, slow, always breathing in and out through the nose. Enjoy the Breath of Life!

In Heart Rhythm Practice each element is associated with a specific way of breathing. When using the earth breath we establish a sense of  being grounded, stable, and present. .

Simple Version ~ Begin by exhaling fully.  Imagine when you breathe in that you are breathing nutrients from the core of the Earth, all the way up through you and into your heart. Earth breath is done through the nose. Breathe in & out equally. Six counts is good. Count like you are counting seconds. Try Earth Breath 5 times, making sure  to soften the belly, expand on inhale. This may seem opposite to how you usually breathe. After awhile you’ll notice how relaxing and oxygenating this breath is for you!

Next step is holding your breath at top of inhalation ~ this lets the fresh new air circulate fully through your lungs and heart. Very strengthening! 

Doing the ‘Earth Breath’ during  times of great change and uncertainty can give you a feeling of greater security and control ~ the only kind we really have  ~ control from the inside! 

The 4 elements ~   EARTH  WATER  FIRE  AIR  ~ associated with specific breaths, qualities, and ways to enhance our performance and sense of self ~ are focus of a meditation series beginning Sept. 8th ~ ‘Heart Rhythm Foundation’ ~ 9 classes on teleconference which makes it very accessible and affordable. For details click on http://www.vesselofvoices.com and see classes page. I’d love to have you join us ~ Heart Rhythm Meditation is applicable to many walks of life. It’s easy to integrate into a typical day; you can go as deep as you wish or keep it very simple and practical. Research shows this approach can positively affect high blood pressure, heart rate, immune system, insomnia, anxiety, and many other contemporary  imbalances. 

Blessings to you as you go on your way today,

Roxanna

Imagine  kindness as a breath ~ a Whale of a breath! Like whales and dolphins, try breathing consciously ~ exhaling fully and completely, then allowing the inhalation to arrive – and remaining aware of how the air enters, flows into your body, expanding and softening hard edges.

When we are anxious, worried, or in chronic pain our breathing becomes shallow, short – this, in turn, triggers the fight, flee, or freeze response and stress hormone release (cortisol).

Conscious deep breathing counters this by stimulating the vagus nerve. Vagus nerve runs from the brain to diaphragm and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. 

To begin ~ lie down on supportive surface on your back, limbs stretched out slightly away from your body, become aware of  passage of air through your body on inbreath and outbreath.  Tip ~ Exhaling first makes it easier to relax & faster to release.         

Think of your breath as a gift from the universe ~ you are breathing in chi or life force. Imagine this life force filling you up, like water being poured into a pitcher. Stay with sensations related to the air coming in, expanding and softening, clearing and cleansing every cell – like a gloriously sparkling waterfall in slow motion streaming into, between, and through all of you.

Let all of what weights you down in pain, despair, anxiety  flow out with no need to examine or cling – let the river of your exhalations wash away all. With each inhalation breath in as if you are surfacing in a dolphin’s ascending graceful leap ~ new fresh life force pours in to all of your cells, re-newing and replenishing. Continue until you feel a sense of peace and quiet within you.

Conscious  ’Element Breathing’ in Heart Rhythm Meditation Teleconference Classes ~ Check out free introductory classes on www.vesselofvoices.com or call Roxanna (contact info on website)

Enjoy a long Breath of Warm Days in August,  Roxanna 

For the Ultimate Lemon Mousse ~ (see previous post for ingredients)

1. Pour water into bowl, sprinkle gelatin in, let stand 10 minutes.

Place bowl in larger bowl of hot water, stir until all is dissolved & liquid is clear.

2. Melt butter in lg. heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from heat, whisk in sugar, zest, lemon juice, and salt. Whisk in yolks ’til smooth. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until thickens and leaves a path on back of wooden spoon when a finger is drawn across. Do not allow boiling.

3. Remove pan from heat, stir in gelatin mix, and immediately pour thru a strainer into a bowl. Let cool to room temp., whisk occasionally.

4. Beat cream until it forms high peaks. Add to lemon mixture in 3 batches, gently folding in with whisk or rubber spatula just ’til blended.

5. Divide mousse evenly between 4 stemmed (or other favourites) glasses. Refrig., loosely covered for at least 2 hours up to 2 days ~

6. Serve with garnish of Fresh Mint Leaf ~ Savour each spoonful ~ Delicious!!!

LUSCIOUS LEMON MOUSSE –                                                                 

next post tells you how to mix ingred.

One day when the bowl overflowed with Meyer Lemons ~ Eureka!!    I found this recipe in my friend, Gillian’s Luscious Lemon Desserts Cookbook, Lori Longbotham (2001)  

Exquisitely simple, exquisitely delicious ~ serve in your favourite dessert glasses/ bowls w/ dollop of whipped cream on top. If you’ve fresh mint in your garden, a little sprig will do.

2 T Water                                                                                                              

1 teaspoon plain gelatin                                                                                    

1/2 cup unsalted butter (i stick)                                                                  

 1/4 cup sugar (or a sweet alternative)                                                                

3 T finely grated lemon zest (I used 4 + T.)                                                  

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice                                                                                  

Pinch of sea salt                                                                                                    

6 large egg yolks                                                                                                  

3/4 cup whipping cream

Continue reading Shakespeare ~ Titania from Midsummer . . . Dream…