"Before beginning your meditation, it is advisable to prepare your mind. Many spiritual traditions use various breathing practices to purify and calm the mind. Here is one Buddhist technique known as the ‘Nine Exhalations Purification Practice’. This simple breathing exercise takes just a couple of minutes, but will significantly improve the quality of your meditation.

Extend your right index finger, then make a fist, wrapping your other three fingers around your thumb.

Use the back of your extended index finger to close your left nostril.

Breathe in through your right nostril. As you breathe in, imagine a bright white light entering your body and dissolving all impure thoughts and feelings within. 

Hold your breath at the peak of the inhalation for as long as feels comfortable.

To exhale, move your extended index finger to your right nostril.

Close this nostril by pressing it with the front part of your finger.

Then exhale all impurities through your right nostril in three consecutive exhalations.

As you exhale, imagine that dark, murky energy is leaving you.

You have now completed 3 of the 9 exhalations.

Without removing your finger from your right nostril, breathe in again. As you do so, visualize a bright white light entering your body through your right nostril and dissolving all impurities.

Hold your breath at the peak of the inhalation until it becomes slightly uncomfortable.

Move your finger to the left, as before. Exhale completely in three equal breaths.

Imagine the dark, murky energy leaving you.

You have completed 6 out of 9 exhalations.

Place your hands on your lap with your palms facing upwards. Your right hand rests on your left, with the tips of your thumbs almost touching.

Breathe in smoothly and deeply through both nostrils, visualizing the same as before.

Then breathe out through both nostrils three times.

The cleansing breath is complete.

You may repeat this process as many times as you wish."