Just Breathe

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27:14

We take for granted everyday the single act that keeps us living from one moment to the next. The gentle inhale and exhale of breath that escapes and enters through our mouth, brings oxygen to our blood, and renews our organs and brain for strength and function.

During moments of fear or excitement we often hold our breaths, in moments of panic or grief we often breathe to fast--our whole bodies, our mental and emotional status can be determined by a single breath.

Babies know of nothing when they enter this world, they are completely dependent on someone to nurture and teach them ;however, the first act they do on their own is breathe in that breath of life and exhale with hearty lungs a full cry.

Yoga has taught me some of the most valuable life lessons. Yoga is all about the Breath--deep breathing: filling the lungs completely and then releasing completely until there is no air left.

There are difficult poses in yoga which are a test for not only your body but also your mind. One of these poses is called a bind. Your body twists and grabs and bends in ways in which a pretzel is more likely to appear and the instructor says "When you reach an area of resistance, breath deeper into the pose, embrace the pose." When I feel uncomfortable, trapped, a little claustrophobic by my own limbs my breath gets short, my mind starts racing, and I begin to fall out of the pose, but if when I start to feel uncomfortable, when the agitation sets in, I begin to breathe deeper and visualize pushing oxygen to those areas of resistance--I manage to get through the pose.

Life is like yoga--we forget to breathe. Whether times are happy, sad, peaceful, or full of anxiety--our breath should be the same. Time does not move faster or slower in these moments and life has a lot to teach us throughout them all-- if only we would remember to breath and embrace the moment.