Why You Need to Own Your Breath
It's easy to forget to breathe.
That's the thought that hit me during my hot yoga class last week. But as sweat rolled down my neck, my muscles tensed and flew into eagle pose and I stared at my red face in the mirror, another thought hit me:
I could make that same comment no matter what I'm doing during the day. Whether driving back from work in rush-hour traffic, cooking dinner with my mom or simply bingeing on Netflix before going to bed, it can feel easy to focus on everything but that constant rhythm of "in" and "out." In fact, it can be easy to let the hectic demands of everyday life overwhelm the most basic demands of our body.
Yet, what is easy is not always - and is often not - right. The author of this quote is unknown, but he or she certainly knew the truth about breathing:
"When you own your breath, nobody can steal you peace."
Breathing is key to living - both literally and figuratively. We can forget to breathe, and our body will automatically do the work for us. But when we pay attention to and control our breathing, we control our life.
When I hear my breathing during yoga, I hear a sign of personal peace. My decision of how fast or slow, shallow or deep, to welcome oxygen into my lungs. My ability to focus on the puffs of air instead of the other thoughts or feelings about my day. My power over, at the very least, this one small part of my body and life.
Don't forget your breath - own it. Then you can begin owning the rest of your life.
*This is part of a new blog series I'm starting known as "Mindful Morsels," which will feature short posts with a focus on mindfulness and mental health. Most will have first appeared at Bayart.org, which I co-author*
**Also found at Terrific Tuesday, Wine'd Down Wednesday, Flaunt it Friday, RunningwithSpoons and Share Fest!*
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I could make that same comment no matter what I'm doing during the day. Whether driving back from work in rush-hour traffic, cooking dinner with my mom or simply bingeing on Netflix before going to bed, it can feel easy to focus on everything but that constant rhythm of "in" and "out." In fact, it can be easy to let the hectic demands of everyday life overwhelm the most basic demands of our body.
Yet, what is easy is not always - and is often not - right. The author of this quote is unknown, but he or she certainly knew the truth about breathing:
"When you own your breath, nobody can steal you peace."
Breathing is key to living - both literally and figuratively. We can forget to breathe, and our body will automatically do the work for us. But when we pay attention to and control our breathing, we control our life.
When I hear my breathing during yoga, I hear a sign of personal peace. My decision of how fast or slow, shallow or deep, to welcome oxygen into my lungs. My ability to focus on the puffs of air instead of the other thoughts or feelings about my day. My power over, at the very least, this one small part of my body and life.
Don't forget your breath - own it. Then you can begin owning the rest of your life.
*This is part of a new blog series I'm starting known as "Mindful Morsels," which will feature short posts with a focus on mindfulness and mental health. Most will have first appeared at Bayart.org, which I co-author*
**Also found at Terrific Tuesday, Wine'd Down Wednesday, Flaunt it Friday, RunningwithSpoons and Share Fest!*
Love this idea for a blog series. Breathe is everything. Its our access to our emotions and our true selves.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that sister!
DeleteThis is a nice reminder after a stressful day, Casey. I do sometimes forget to take time just to breathe and be. It seems like with the existence of the internet, it's so easy for me to deal with stress by escaping instead of through mindfulness. I love how you put it--to own it!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I could help. I definitely feel you on using the Internet as your go-to relaxation tool!
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