Just Breathe

You're doing it now...as you read this. Your breath is most likely moving in and out of your body unconsciously, without you even noticing it. It just does what it does, minute after minute, day after day and year after year. In...out...in...out...



Now that it's been mentioned, perhaps you've begun to notice it. That's the amazing thing about breath awareness...we don't need awareness to breathe, but with awareness our breath turns into a powerful tool. Within a minute you can decrease your stress by paying attention to breath. You can stop yourself from blurting out words that you'll regret and can't retract. You can begin to calm and alter the voice of the harsh inner critic. You can begin to unwind tension in your body. You can notice subtle scents.



On a deeper level, the breath penetrates into the darker chasms of our consciousness, the place where we begin to become a witness to, rather than a participant in, our "stuff". If we have a feeling of confusion and begin to settle into our breath, we begin to unravel what is at the heart of the chaos. We can let ourselves "be" in the experience from a place of compassion and non-judgment. We begin to see what it's like to identify and sense the experience without feeling like a choice-less victim to it.



How do we tap into the power of the breath?



Through practice...over and over again.



You can begin now.



Sit tall with your back away from the chair if possible. Place your feet flat on the floor and rest your hands in a comfortable position on your lap.



Close your eyes and exhale as much of the air out of your lungs as is comfortably possible. As you begin to inhale, allow your navel center to move forward away from your spine and fill the lungs with air, expanding your rib cage. Hold the breath in for a couple of seconds and release into an exhale. At the end of the exhale, feel your navel center drawing back in toward your spine. Pause and repeat.



Breathe through your nose if possible.



Make the breath smooth and even.



Easy.



Don't just read about it...TRY IT!