Breathing

 

When I ask clients if they enjoy breathing, they tend to pause and look at me quizzically like I’ve asked a rather dumb question.

The usual reply is, “I never really thought about it.”

A natural response, as we all tend to take breathing as a given. It just happens, doesn’t it?  We don’t even have to think about it. The automatic inhale and exhale that keeps us alive is totally taken for granted. Until we take our last breath.

We know that we can live for weeks without food. Days without water. But only minutes without breathing. This alone bears thinking about doesn’t it?

What if we were able to utilize, more consciously, the power of the breath combined with the power of relaxation?  How would our body, mind and emotions be affected by a more finely tuned awareness of this amazing catalyst for life-giving energy and vitality?

So let’s take this concept for a walk around the block.

• First of all, your breath is completely free. Who doesn’t like free stuff?!
• It’s available to you 24 hours a day. 7  days a week. Month after month. Year after year.
• It’s right under your nose.
• And it’s constantly happening whether you think about it or not.

Sounds pretty easy so far, doesn’t it?

What if you were informed that you could literally change your body and life by changing your breathing habits?

Dr. Andrew Weil is a Harvard medical doctor who visually reminds me of a cross between a cuddly teddy bear and Father Christmas. He has a deep resonant voice filled with compassion and confidence. He went ‘rogue’ many years ago by moving into the Holistic model of health.

Among many wonderful health affirming programs he came out with, I consider his brilliant CD titled, Breathing – The Key to Self-Mastery, to be incredibly informative. Listening to case studies of how adjusting our breathing habits can overcome anxiety, high blood pressure, and depression are impressive. Even though he borrows heavily upon the ancient Indian disciplines of what is called Pranayama (control of the breath to produce different desired results in our lives) he recognized that he didn’t need to re-invent the wheel as this enlightened information was already available to us all, if only we knew where to look for it.

“Let your breath become deep, slow, quiet, and regular.”  His voice reverberates nicely in my ears.

Deep. Slow. Quiet. Regular. You can do this anywhere, anytime.  You do not have to be sitting on the floor cross-legged, as we see so many meditation and yoga students do.  Becoming more aware of our breath and being willing to put in a little extra effort into improving the functioning of our lungs can happen:

• Waiting in line at the grocery store or bank.
• Sitting in your car at a red traffic light.
• Waiting for an important meeting/interview.
• Sitting on the toilet! Great for constipation.  Breathing instead of straining.
• Walking in nature.
• In bed,
  To celebrate Valentine’s day, I am sharing a blog about a very different type of “hug” that offers a unique, alternate intimacy with another.

  Included are 12 simple ways of duplicating the feel-good hormone, Oxytocin, naturally.

  Do join me!

  https://colhh.com/a-very-different-kind-of-hug-for-valentines/

  before you go to sleep and as you wake up.

An endless list of opportunities to become more relaxed and alive and very much in the present time.

Try it out. I guarantee you that this works!

Breathe.