A gentle breathing induction
Ocean Breathing is a form of breathing that will put you into trance easily and quickly. It will take a bit of practice to get the muscle control right, but everyone can do it. Do not overdo the breathing in, and stop if you get lightheaded. Aim for a gentle controlled relaxing rhythm.
- Sit or lie somewhere comfortable.
- Focus on your breathing. Get used to the rhythm of your normal breathing.
- Then take control and deliberately alter the way you breathe.
- Start by expanding your abdomen. Find the muscles to raise your abdomen. Do it gently.
- Then use your diaphragm muscles to raise the lower edge of your ribs,
- Finish by raising your upper chest and ribs. Steps 4 - 6 should form a gentle continuous flow.
- As you breathe out use your glottis to narrow your throat and restrict the flow of air. This causes a 'rushing' sound, which gives the technique the name 'ocean breathing'. The out breath should take as long as the in breath.
Ocean breathing can be sustained for long periods of time.
Hypnotic induction
This form of breathing is actually a useful way of inducing hypnosis. The regular breathing induces relaxation, and the focus on your muscles causes dissociation. The repetitive sound of your own breath going out sets up a rhythm that lulls the conscious mind until it starts to wander away. Then your unconscious mind is free to open up, which is the definition of trance.
Many Eastern mystic traditions use repetitive breathing exercises for meditation or spiritual access. It also called Ujjaiya breathing. There are other types of breathing such as counting one number for the in-breath and a different number for the out-breath. Basically they are just different methods of invoking your natural relaxation response. Controlled relaxation of your conscious mind is simply another name for a hypnotic induction.
