You Don't Breathe Enough!

Okay, I have to confess first, I am a big breather.  I am a fan of breathing.  I admit!!  I have a tainted view on the subject of breathing.  There, I said it.

Why breathe?  I mean, why breathe beyond what is essential to sustain life?  Because it helps to increase your bodies oxygen, and it will help you to relax and process feelings more easily, and because it just feels good.

It's been my experience that most of us are scared of uncomfortable experiences.  I'm talking of the internal kind, emotions/sensations like fear, anxiety, anger, pain, etc.  And we're very good at finding creative ways to avoid them.  We blame others, we look for distractions around us, anything not to feel.

And so breathing solves all of this?  No...but it's a good start.

Simply take time every day, as often as necessary, to just be present with whatever you are experiencing.  I said experiencing, not thinking.  Try focusing on your breath, and let yourself relax, just let yourself be, as you allow your breath to deepen your experience.  Feel your belly rising and falling with each breath, letting that become your focus.  Allow your feelings to just become part of the process.  ”I'm breathing and I'm feeling ... I may not like it, I don't have to like it but that's okay, I'm okay, and I'm breathing.”  Allow yourself to feel the safety of your breath, something that’s been a constant for you from the moment you were born.  Think of it like the currents in the ocean, allowing the waves to rise and fall.  The ocean being a mass of energy that has been here since the earth was formed, ever present, stable.

Now breathe, and let yourself enjoy the experience wherever it may take you.

It does NOT have to be Complicated

I have written a number of short blogs on things we can do to take care of ourselves, everything from nutrition, to exercise, to other integrative approaches; Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage, CranioSacral Therapy, etc.  More and more people are integrating approaches like meditation and Yoga into their daily routines, but if this all sounds like a lot, it doesn’t have to be complicated.

A wonderful gift you can give yourself, is taking small meditative moments throughout the day.  Often it’s too hard to take half and hour or an hour to meditate, or do Yoga, but if you take a few minutes a couple of times a day, it can help you not only remain focused, less stressed, open, and also more present.

What does this entail?  It can be done it a number of different ways, and so I will present a few simple ideas.

Breath.  I have written a few blogs on diaphragmatic breathing.  This, in and of itself can be a meditative moment.

Grounding, grounding, grounding.  Take a few moments to feel yourself connecting to the earth’s energies.  You can imagine growing roots into the earth, or you can, with your breath, breathe in the earth’s energies with your in breath, and with your out breath, connect yourself deeper to the earth.

Two simple questions.  “What am I feeling?”, and “Where am I feeling it?”  Allow yourself to simply observe any sensations without judgment, without trying to change them, or without making them right or wrong.  Breathe.  You can say something to yourself like, “I’m ok even if I’m feeling …”

Smile.  Put a smile on your face.  Now take that feeling, and smile in different areas of your body; your neck, your shoulders, your heart, your solar plexus, your head, etc.  Smile, and allow that feeling/sensation to fill these areas with more ease and joy.

That's Just the way I AM !?

Some of us feel that way at times. That’s just the way I am, “I’m goofy”, or “I’m shy”, “I’m…”

There are reasons we are the way we are. Some are out of our control. Others we have created unconsciously as ways of coping from our environment. Others yet we learned by example from those around us.

Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’m not going to be like my parents when I grow up”, only to turn out just like them?

What does it take for us to change? Let’s start with Intent and Acknowledgment.

Intent…is knowing what we want. Intent can be viewed as anything from goal setting, to affirmations, to prayer. When we couple this with feelings; feeling how we will feel when we accomplish our goal, and seeing it as if it were true, we are creating a clearer pattern for a goal to take shape. It’s the details we don’t have as much control over, and it’s here we need to be humble, learn to compromise, and relinquish some control.

Acknowledgment is the process of checking in with ourselves and being honest. If something comes up for me that I am troubled about I first take time to acknowledge what I am feeling, and where I am feeling it. I may check to see if there are any other thoughts and sensations associated with it. This process involves learning to live more in the moment, but it can also be viewed as learning to accept and love yourself, because it’s done without judgment.

This last process is essential yet sometimes a difficult one, as none of us, in which I include myself like to feel things that are uncomfortable. Exploring our inner worlds doesn’t keep us stuck, however, it sets us free. It feels empowering to me to know that I will be OK even when I am feeling intense emotions, knowing that they will pass allows me to be more accepting and honest with myself. This is a very different process than going over a thought or problem in our heads, over and over again.

I know that if you start practicing these simple, but profound tools, they will make a difference in your life, and help you reach your goals.

Try it.