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For background on this series, head over to the welcome letter or find the entire series on the roots section of my page.
Thus far we have touched on the foundational relationships to the mind and to our magical physical beings. Now let’s peer into a force that twirls through and bridges these two, a force that is with us always…sometimes loud, sometimes soft, sometimes slow, sometimes quick, sometimes shallow and sometimes from the deepest of depths… the breath.
Take a moment and notice the rhythm of your breath in this moment. No need to change it and no right or wrong, just get curious. How is the pace? The depth? How is your posture? How is the mind?
Now join me in consciously breathing together, as we settle into this space…
Inhale drawing the breath down through the arms and to the tips of each and ever finger, slow long exhale.
Inhale drawing the breath down through the legs swirling into the toes, slow long exhale.
Inhale filling up to the tip of the head, the entire skull, slow exhale.
Inhale, lighting up the pathways, the chi, of the entire body, exhale.
Inhale slow and deep into the belly, exhale.
Inhale widen the chest and shoulders lengthening the spine, long gentle exhale.
Inhale into the back of the body, expanding the entire back, slow gentle exhale.
Inhale, hold the breathe in the body, soften the muscles while still holding in the breathe and feel what it feels to be full. Gentle exhale and hold at the bottom of the breath, noticing the sensations of being empty.
Try that one more time, holding at the top and at the bottom, and tune into the fullness, into the emptiness. The difference you feel there.
And one last full inhale with an audible sound, exhale.
Check-in again… how is the mind? How is your posture? What about your breath?
~
Bija Bennett shares from her book, Breathing into Life, the following:
Breathing is the expression of life, the pulsation of all that exists. Everything in creation breathes - it is in the movement of the stars, the planets, the earth, the ocean waves, the wind in the trees. These impulses, these frequencies, these rhythms of creation, are expressions of the universal breath of life. This living breath is the same breath that exists within our own bodies.
~
Have you ever stood on a lookout, a pier, a cliff, at the ocean’s edge when the wind is howling? It is one of my favorite sensations, this raw power of the wind. This is same wind that moves through us, this same force of nature that cleanses and activates our beings, that can connect us to other beings… Remember this, that this force moves within you. To breathe is to be alive.
We can explore our daily relationship to the breath and her ability to amplify our relationships to the body and to the mind. There is also immense power in breath-work and intentional breathing exercises, however that will not be the focus of this foundational exploration.
So how do we explore our own relationship to the breath? Or rather, explore her nature? I have written specifically on this before for those who have been tuning in for a little while however it is one of those sneaky essences that you can never remember enough… she, the breath, feels so obvious a friend being here with us always, yet her power is often forgotten. First an invitation into a few contemplations for yourself…
What is my baseline breath? Is it up in the chest or deep in the belly? How do I breathe? Each breath is brand new therefore it is often changing however tune into it, see if you can cozy up to it… Begin to notice how you breathe throughout the day.
Do I currently think of the breath as an energy to connect me deeper with my life? As a door? Or is this new to me?
Do I allow myself to breathe fully? To expand the diaphragm and feel the sensations of a full belly breathe? To make sound with the breath?
See what comes up, no need to overthink it. See if something new is revealed.
This life force, this experience of breathing, can serve both as a check in to the current state of your being (almost like a shortcut bypassing the head and attempted analysis of the mind) quickly signaling how you are showing up in this moment. Your posture is another signal, however it is deeply intertwined with the breath. When your breath is open and expansive…signaling grounded-ness, centeredness, presence in the being, your posture often mimics that openness and expansiveness. When the breath is tighter, perhaps when focusing intensely on a task… the body tends to be tighter and clenched as well.
See how these are constantly dancing with one another? How they are not separate? How they are speaking the same language? A thought can provoke an emotion which instantly changes the breath which can manifest in the physical body…. or the body is in distress or in the midst of intense exercise and the breath quickens to better support the body in that moment…or you are preparing to go through something difficult, maybe physical pain or a hard conversation, and your body automatically takes a deep breathe in preparation.
The breath is already working for us in many ways and in unison with the vessel often without us even noticing… AND she is this unique character in that we have the ability to wield her, to work together with her at times. Here is the invitation to become intimate with her alchemizing power. She can transform, sometimes in the span of a single moment, our entire experience. Many many healing modalities incorporate the breath into their practices. Take a simple massage and how much more effective clearing away a knot in the back is when you time up a deep exhale with the exact moment of pushing it through. We hold a lot in our physical beings, in our literal tissues - traumas, stress, experiences, shame. Emotional release therapies directly work on this and always are incorporating the breath because of her deep ability to support in clearing.
While I invite you to explore those in any way that may be supportive to you, the invitation is to also remember your own ability to do this in a regular day. The concept works the same way. A few examples and opportunities to play with…
Transitioning from one part of your day to another - take a big inhale and on the exhale let go of anything and everything occupying the mind before this new moment. Perhaps leaving work and coming into space with a friend or lover, exhale the energies from that work day and come into the space with fresh energy.
Amidst a moment of overwhelm - open your shoulders, bring oxygen into the body lengthening the spine through a deep inhale, and exhale shake it out a little bit.
When in a trance or a non-useful repetitive pattern - I.e. scrolling on instagram, compulsive fiddling or daydreaming. Sometimes a deep conscious breath can be the valuable disruptor needed. For myself, I have utilized picking at my fingernails or my hair as a coping mechanism for overwhelm and anxiety as a means to control something in the moment and thus avoid something else. It has shifted and wavered throughout my life this far, sometimes being more prominent, sometimes fading away. I kept wanting to understand it more…wondering what is happening in this exact moment causing me to do this… my ability to get to the bottom of it often falling short and into unnecessary self criticism. What I did finally notice however is that in these moments I am barely breathing, practically holding my breath. More recently, as I notice my gaze peering towards my split ends, I invite in a deep deep breath and loud exhale almost like a little bell to bring me back into awareness. To bring me back to remembering that I am safe, I am supported, and I can navigate all that comes my way.
When journaling (perhaps on the body prompts that I shared last week) - allow the breath to support you, to be a comforting presence that holds your hand as you walk deeper into yourself.
When wanting to savor a moment - A simple sacred pause and awareness of the breath as a means to connect deeper to the moment. Let’s take a moment of joy (perhaps while enjoying a meal, standing in nature, sitting down to talk with a friend) - utilizing 1 intentional breath to fully come into the moment, open the senses and be in the now.
Avoid only thinking of the breath as a way for calming the self… rage, tears, passion, all also are expressed through breath and/or sound. Sometimes screaming loudly into a pillow can do wonders. The point is to allow her to be a conduit for moving energy through us. This isn’t to tame an inner flame, no… lets continue to ignite your inner fire towards your dreams, your passions and to do so with clarity. Through allowing that which is not ours or is no longer serving to move on and out through breath… through being unafraid of the fluidity and spaciousness that we ourselves can welcome in. The breath is an essential component of many traditions as she is recognized for her potent essence. Breath is one of the three keys in tantra, referred to as prana in yogic tradition, deeply intertwined with chi in Chinese medicine… universally honored in various ways all guiding us into deeper intimacy with self and thus with the energy of life itself.
Take some time and feel this sacred connectedness that the breath brings you throughout your day today. Where can you meet her with presence in order to influence your day? Where can you meet her in order to drop deeper into your sacred vessel? While sometimes a mindfulness exercise or a loving conversation with the body may be the medicine we need in a moment, other times the most effective tonic is simply conscious breath.
The takeaway is to prioritize remembering this life force available to you and allow her to be an anchor. Breathing is happening… enjoy it, embrace it, love it, and invite her in with conscious attention more often. May you traverse the spaciousness that comes through a deep deep breath today and in all of your days. May you allow her to give you wings.
Blessings,
Erin