Tag: #awarenessofbreath

The Journey of a Breath

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” ~Thích Nhat Hạnh

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I was asked today, before one of my yoga classes, to teach them how to breathe.  Then they asked, “Why don’t I know how to breathe?  Why hasn’t this been taught to me before, what’s the problem with our culture that we don’t know how to breathe?”

As adults, we usually breathe from our chests unconsciously.  Our bodies take over and we stay alive every day with most of our attention focused on productivity, earning and spending money, food, and I’m sure you can fill in a few more blanks.  This is an act that nourishes our entire bodies, calms our minds, and allows for ‘a say’ in our mood and reactions at any given time.  Yet, we leave our breath to a small and quiet rhythm with little notice.

Breathing is the only vital function that we have full and continuous control over.

3 Part Breath:  Reclined or seated, place one hand on your lower belly and the other on your chest.  Relax your torso and begin to breath naturally, flowing toward long, slow inhales and exhales.  Notice which hand rises first or if both are equal.  Let your mind divide your inhale into 3 parts: lower belly, middle ribs and chest.  As you begin fill your torso with air starting low and pausing in between each of these 3 sections.  Retain that breath for a moment before allowing your exhale to flow slowly down and empty your torso 1/3 at a time.

Learning to breathe with purpose is about slowing down and listening, relaxing, and leaking air in slowly. This leak, this Ocean Breath, creates a sound much like the rhythmic, subtle ocean. We then have time to observe and impact the journey of each inhale and each exhale.

“Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.” ~Krishnamacharya

 

 

 

Present Mind Within a Busy Day

“Man sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” -Dalai Lama

 
      You have probably heard many versions of this sentiment before.  Quietly, you hope you are not living your life this way.  We all have very different lives, work and past times with this residing theme in common – we are BUSY.  When we are not busy we turn on the TV, read a book, do household chores, and it goes on and on.  Remembering to BE in the Present Moment when this is not facilitated by a class may be difficult.  The times dedicated to presence may be far and few in between all of the ‘stuff’ that makes up our lives.
      Here is an exercise that anyone can do many times a day, every day:
      Consider a brilliant part of existence – – –

Every few seconds, 24 hours a day something we take for granted is happening to every person alive.  Do you know what this is? They are breathing. The breath, the inhale and exhale, is a small wonder occurring repeatedly in our daily living.

The next time you are unloading the dishwasher, filing papers, writing an email, driving to work, cooking a meal or sitting in a meeting – take note of your breath.  Move dishes, papers or laundry with your inhale and exhale.  Yes, this does mean slowing down your pace for a few minutes.  It also means appreciating the task at hand and perhaps even enjoying activities you before thought of as menial.  If in a meeting, be present by noticing how your inhale and exhale can make tiny shifts within your posture and then acknowledge your slow, calm breathing for a few minutes while listening to the meeting’s agenda.  Having awareness of your breathing for a few minutes at a time gives your mind a break from its incessant darting between subjects.  Presence with breath allows us to tune in to our body and to be aware of the story it is telling us all day.  Often, we only hear our bodies when they yell and scream to us in discomfort.  Noticing your breath throughout the day in small increments will calm and rest your mind leading to awareness of the mind/body connection.  Use the breath to teach your mind and body to become interconnected, feeling what life is giving you in this moment.  Many of us spend time immersed in the sorrows of the past and worries of the future.  Five minutes from now is the future and the last conversation we had is in the past.  Aim to be in the present.

     Let us know how easy or difficult you find this and with what part of your day it was possible.  For me, I find it possible with driving and dishes  🙂  ~ Jessica
(Valerie’s presence with breath is also in the task of dishes as well as clearing clutter and vacuuming.)
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