The first thing you ever did for yourself was breathe. In order to enter into this life, you needed to take that first breath, no matter how scary or unfamiliar it felt to do so. And consciously focusing on your breath remains the epitome of self-care throughout your entire life. Breath is both starter and sustainer.
Have you ever noticed feeling tight and constricted when experiencing stress, overwhelm, or worry? Even during minor upsets, we tend to pull into ourselves like turtles retreating to the safety of their shells. In order to protect ourselves, we unconsciously get as small, compact, and hard as possible, which naturally leads to shallow, restricted breathing. The best thing you can do for yourself when you notice you’re barely breathing is to take a few deep, cleansing breaths.
We have a dogleg driveway that makes getting in and out of the garage pretty tricky. The other day, I was cautiously backing my relatively new car out while concentrating
hard on clearing both the garage door and the neighbor’s fence behind me. When I had safely accomplished that feat, my husband chuckled and said, “Breathe, Susie.” He was absolutely right; I had all but stopped breathing. His reminder made me laugh and take a deep breath.
It’s ironic that our impulse to close down and constrict breathing during both mini and major crises is exactly the opposite of helpful. Shallow breathing depletes your resources, while breathing deeply oxygenates your brain, grounds you in your body, and maximizes your mental, emotional, and physical capabilities.
In mindfulness practice, breath is an ever-present mainstay, a maypole around which our thoughts and feelings can flutter and whip. Simply by reminding yourself to breathe, you can replace a detrimental, automatic reaction with a healthy one.
PRACTICE...
• Before getting out of bed, intentionally focus on
your breath.
• Take at least seven deep, conscious breaths.
• Thank your breath for faithfully sustaining you from
the first moment of your life until now.
THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY...
• Become aware of your breath and express gratitude
for it.
Return to breath.
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