The way we breathe is the way we live!

Think about it for a moment . . . Breathing fully and freely is our birthright.

When a baby breathes, they inhale deeply filling their tiny belly with air like a balloon, the chest rises and then falls, like a raft on the ocean. This is natural, full-body breathing. It is the way we were meant to breathe. Breathing effortlessly, a baby lives fully and freely in the “now,” in the expansiveness of the moment. There is no past to remember, no future to plan for or worry about.

Each breath is a process of receiving from the universe and giving back to it. We receive oxygen from the world and give back carbon dioxide for the plants and other life to utilize. We are part of the basic rhythm of life.  Through our breathing we can get in touch with peace, joy and the connectedness with all things.

Unfortunately as we grow older we lose the freedom and expansiveness that was once ours. We become afraid of disapproval, punishment, abandonment and other feelings that we don’t know how to handle.  As a result, we begin to learn to “control” ourselves, to “be good.” We sacrifice our happiness for the approval of others. This often leads us to unconsciously tighten our muscles and restrict our breathing. As adults, we tend to breathe small and shallow, mostly in the chest, with little visible movement. To make matters worse, most of us literally stop breathing for short periods 50 to 100 times a day.  When we constrict or stop our breath, we lose touch with what is happening in the present moment — with how magical and wonderful it is just to be alive. Instead, we focus on the past and the future. Our minds race with thoughts — worrying, figuring and planning. We lose the freedom, joy and expansiveness that was ours at birth.

If we can revisit our breath and direct our consciousness back to our breathing and learning to work with it, we can regain what has been lost – we can learn to let go of patterns of worry and tension which hold us back and return to natural, full-body breathing.

As we become aware of our breath and work with it consciously, we make a direct link into our nervous system, gaining access to a part of ourself that usually functions outside of conscious awareness. As our breathing gets fuller and deeper, we can feel ourselves softening, opening, getting more spacious inside.

The breath takes us into our very core. It is no coincidence that in many languages and many sacred texts, the word for breath also means soul or spirit — psyche in Greek, anima in Latin, Ruach in Hebrew.  As the breath goes in and out, we feel a connection between the inside and the outside.

Through breathing, we are connected with all living beings. It is fascinating how the most basic and essential of all our activities can also be the most transformative!

So give your breath a little attention and have a great weekend.

Peace and love, Jim