Monday, July 29, 2013
the end of the jetty / a moment of solitude
Living a less-distracted life : come back to your breath.
How often do you stop to feel yourself breathe? I'm presuming your answer is "not often enough" - and that's ok.
If you watch a baby or young child breathe, they do so with their whole torso; it rises and falls with each inhalation and exhalation. It's called a whole body breath and adults don't do it enough. After childhood, when we begin to experience stress, it's quite normal for us to revert to short, sharp breaths into the chest. Ideally we need to breathe into the belly - a deep, nourishing inhalation followed by a long, releasing exhalation.
Breath awareness is one of the most effective relaxation techniques. Simply observing the breath has the power to bring you into the present moment, to the here and the now. When you start to become aware of your breath you begin to notice its quality - light or heavy, smooth or jagged - and from there you naturally become more aware of your body.
It can be quite confronting to stop and realise that you've been running on auto, that your breath is shallow and your body is tense. But I promise you that it doesn't take long to establish awareness; to make it an essential practice in your day. You can do it right now - mentally repeat "let" as you inhale and "go" as you exhale. It's also a beautiful way to settle before sleep, encouraging your breath to move down into your belly, letting go of your day and any unnecessary thoughts.
So: inhale and exhale....become aware of the rise and fall, ebb and flow.
14 COMMENTS
Labels: practising simplicity , simple body
Thanks for the much needed reminder!
ReplyDeleteYes, a great reminder. Thank you!
ReplyDeletethanks Jodi!
ReplyDeleteI wrote you a letter yesterday... will post tomorrow.... and in the letter I noted how much I am focusing on my breath lately and picturing your voice saying 'let' 'go'. My body feels immediately lighter and it's defiantly been helping me sleep better. It's so easy to get 'caught up'. What a difference it makes when we stop and breathe for a little while.
ReplyDeletewhat a lovely reminder to start the week with! :)
ReplyDeleteGood to remind oneself with that - thanks! :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://tinajoathome.com/
I was a good breather as a young adult - years of acting school and yoga helped it along. I've lost the skill in recent years, but am ever aware of its importance. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI have always struggled with breathing because as soon as I start to think about it, I hold my breath! and panic. I've been working on it (through ACT) and now that I am finally getting the hang of it, it is bring clarity.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great reminder. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a simple concept, but I think we all needed the reminder! As I was reading this I caught myself taking those short, shallow breaths. I corrected myself and now I'm already feeling much more relaxed this morning.
ReplyDeleteEmily
Love the reminder, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI actually have a horrid problem with stress/anxiety. I experienced a horrible period of postpartum depression after my son was born and after getting better I realized I had developed the problem of having panic attacks. I was plagued with these for about a year, before I finally found relief. For me, it was reconnecting with God, having faith and prayer. These things helped me to slow down more, and I realized more often than not I was sometimes not even breathing for moments at a time! I am still working everyday to become more calm and centered, and this was a wonderful reminder.
ReplyDeleteI love reading your 'practicing - simplicity' notes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your wise word's once again Jodi x
Love this - I use deep breathing as a warm down with my drama students - they giggle nervously at first, but come to love it and always remind me if I forget to do it at the end of the lesson.
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