“All things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the man… the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.” –  Chief Seattle

Listen to your breathing. Is it shallow and short, coming from the thorax?

Bring the palm of either hand to your belly. Invite oxygen into your nostrils and sense the coolness. Follow it inside your throat, move it into your chest and allow it to expand your abdomen and rib cage. Then exhale, slow and steady with mindful attention. Receive the warmth of the exhalation.

By focusing on the breath movement, you physically adjust your brain and body. Instead of fight, flight or freeze, we deliberately turn our parasympathetic system on when we breathe in deep, slow and out. Add a long, vocal sigh on the letting go, which might sound like “AAAAAHHHHHhhhhh” and you wash and send your physique over into the relaxation response.

Take in a slow moving, profound breath, bring it into the belly and then release it with an audible sigh. As you inhale, follow it, suspend the breath for just a Nano second at the top and then let it out, guiding it gently, sighing. Pause at the bottom of the exhale before you consciously inhale again. Inhale and exhale deeply again. Now, bring your attention to your surroundings, your inner emotions and watch, just be and observe, no judgment. Take another breath, close your eyes. Breathe it in, breathe it out and repeat. Check in with your state of mind.

You can use this as a calming influence; as you talk on the phone, argue with a disgruntled client or unhappy relative, while you wait on line with impatience, at the computer which frustrates or at a stop sign, red light or point in traffic. It becomes a santuary of peace. You control and choose your moment. If you find you need to regroup because of disappointment, anger or frustration, you can decide to breathe and bring your awareness back to the now. If you are disturbed or perplexed, remember you have the power to move into solution, acceptance or give yourself a time out. Before you act inappropriately, use this easy, free tool to calm your response. It allots you space to reason and reflect. In order to come from a loving, authentic place within, instead of a habitual, knee jerk reaction we might regret, this pause grants us a chance to enter a gap where grace can open our perspective.

Anytime you move, think or create, synchronize with your breath and wind it down a notch. It will undoubtedly enhance your awareness and enrich your life.  Let the ebb and flow take the tide out. As a result, with clarity, our priorities begin to shift. Our viewpoints widen while our focus sharpens.

I breathe into a living meditation. I bring healing notes to the symphony of my life as I consciously breathe. I know how to ease my mind and fill my spirit by breathing into my body.