The foundation of Breath Alchemy is a simple exercise called twenty circular breaths. You can do this exercise throughout the day, whenever you feel the need. However, it is recommended that for the first week you only do it once daily:

1. Take four short breaths.
2. Then take one long breath.
3. Pull the breaths in and out through your nose.
4. Do four sets of the five breaths, that is, four sets of four short breaths followed by one long breath without stopping, for a total of twenty breaths.

Circular breathing means any kind of breathing that fits the following three criteria:

1. It means that the inhale and the exhale are connected together without any pauses any place. As soon as you complete the inhale, you abruptly relax, and let the exhale just flow out. When the exhale has gone as far as it will go, you immediately begin the next inhale. So there are no pauses.
2. The second criterion is that the exhale is completely relaxed, and not controlled at all. So you don’t use any muscles to make the exhale take longer, or any muscles to try to squeeze all the air out. As soon as the exhale has gone as far as it will go with relaxation alone, you immediately begin the next inhale.
3. The third criterion is that either you breathe in and out through the nose, or you breathe in and out through the mouth. Either one of those works, but if you switch back and forth—if you inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth or vice versa, it weakens the effect of the circular breathing quite a bit.

Now, what is the effect of the circular breathing? The simplest way to explain it is that it gives you complete circuits of energy in your body in a way that enhances your awareness of the life force energy in your body.

Use the short breaths to emphasize the connecting and merging of the inhale and the exhale into unbroken circles.

Use the long breath to fill your lungs as completely as you comfortably can on the inhale, and to let go completely on the exhale.

Breathe at a speed that feels natural for you. It is important that the breathing be free and natural and rhythmical, rather than forced or controlled. This is what enables you to breathe prana as well as air.

Since most of us have developed bad breathing habits you might experience some physical sensations, such as lightheadedness or tingling sensations in your hands or elsewhere. If you will tune these feelings in and make peace with them, you will notice that the sensations may change and become less overwhelming, and more generative of healing. This indicates that you are learning about breathing consciously and are getting direct benefits in your body.

Daily practice of this exercise will teach you more about breathing than you have ever learned in your entire life.

I must emphasize that this is only a taste of the Breath Alchemy Technique. An actual guided session takes you light years beyond anything this beginning exercise can give you.

If you wish to accelerate the process, contact me and schedule a series of one- to two-hour guided Breath Alchemy sessions. Sessions are conducted on Skype. I can be reached at info@bobfrissell.com