The Beauty of the Breath
Breathe in, breathe out. It’s so simple, even a baby can do it. And every single person on the planet, alive, is doing it.
We breathe all day long, without even consciously thinking about it. It is the thing that keeps us alive, and yet most of us never stop to consider our own breath, and all that it is truly capable of.
And yet, the breath can be an important focus in so many ways. For instance, anyone who has ever taken a yoga class is reminded, the entire time, that the whole point is to focus on the breath. Nothing else matters except paying attention to and minding, the breath. For anyone who has ever felt panic or anxiety, you know that sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to catch your breath. The breath has power, to keep filling our lungs with the air we need to survive, but its reach is even greater than just that.
“Breathing is the essence of life. Breathe deeply, live fully”. – Gabriella Goddard
So, while breathing may be something we do, every day, so many times we easily lose count, if we can learn the importance and power of the breath, we can master so many areas of our lives.
How can we use something as simple as the breath, to live more fully?
Let it guide you
Life can be overwhelming, for sure. So many people are inundated with responsibilities weighing on them every moment. The daily assault of questions flood the mind, like how do the bills get paid? Am I doing enough? Will there ever be peace in the world? The stress the world willingly throws at us can seem like an insurmountable mountain to climb, leaving you feeling, well, breathless.
But, have no fear, for it is the breath that can offer you a guide through any obstacle you face. It is your breath, deliberate and determined, which can overcome adversity, taking you higher and further than you thought, and yet also anchors you to the moment and task at hand, willing you through the mountain until you reach the other side.
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor”. – Thich Nhat Hanh
Vietnamese monks, some of the greatest masters of the breath, remind us how our breathing can be an anchor in the storm of life. So, take the moment, to pause and feel the beauty of your breath as it fills your lungs. It gives you everything you need to understand, to recognize that your thoughts can be changed, your emotions can be fleeting and impermanent, but your breath is a constant and can serve as a pillar of strength.
Learn to slow your breathing for clarity, breathe deeply for reassurance and calming, and hold your breath in the moments where you take the plunge into the unknown. Let your breath guide you through your choices, your feelings and your days, like the unrelenting anchor of support it is meant to be.
Let it heal you
Life can be equally wondrous and wounding. It will be both these things, because, we as people, care for things outside of our control, whether it’s a dream we have been reaching for, someone in our lives who leaves us (whether willingly or not), or an idea that gets lost in the shuffle. We can love wholly, and unconditionally, which can lead to joy, but also pain.
“The greatest luxury of life is peaceful breathing because it repairs the wounds of the cosmic soul”- Amit Ray
Your breath can literally save you. When the anxiety so many can feel seems to swallow you whole, you can let your breath calm you. Close your eyes, and slow your breathing. Breathe in with the calming reassurance, that this too will pass, if you can use your breath to quiet your mind with gentle, unhurried breathing. Count slowly in your mind as you let your breath in patiently, assuredly, and then let your breath leave you even slower, like you don’t want to really let it go.
When you feel marooned by sadness, it can be your breath which brings you back from desolation. Your breath wants to comfort you, and offer you solace. Breathe in the chance to heal, and with every breath out, let go of the pain. Let your breath serve to remind you how it only takes one moment, and one breath, to take you one step further from pain.
When anger has you feeling ready to explode, your breath can take you back to safety. It can reign you in, from even the uncertainty of yourself, if you just give it the moment to give you distance, give you clarity and let you learn to heal.
Your breath has incredible power, because with each one you take, you are one breath further from hurt, further from pain, and closer to your calm. So, let it help you to heal, one breath at a time.
Let your breath stop you
We are equipped with so many facets to ourselves, including our emotions, which send us the flares of significance to what we are experiencing in that moment. But, for so many people, we want to react in immediacy, instead of giving ourselves the moment we need to truly connect to calm and do what is best for us.
Let your breath be the buffer.
“Breath is the link between mind and body”. – Dan Brule
If we let it, it is our very breath that can stop us in our tracks. It is our breath that connects our minds and our bodies. You know what it feels like, because everyone has had that moment, when you stop, breathe in so deeply it expands your chest, and you don’t go forward, you halt in your tracks. That is your breath teaching you that is can be as simple as that one breath that can be the difference in connecting your mind and your body, the difference between the harsh words we can’t take back, the choice we wish we didn’t make or the chance to see things in a different light.
We just need to be willing to stop. And breathe.
Let Your breath be taken away
Many, if not all of us, can get caught up in the details of life. We can become so overwhelmed by all we have to do, that we can quickly overlook what it is that matters most. Don’t worry. Your breath will remind you of what’s important, when we, so busy in this world, can easily forget.
The breath wants to be taken away when life throws you something to be savored. Can you remember a time you lost your breath because you pushed yourself harder than you thought possible? Did you ever catch your breath when you were astounded by an unexpected surprise? Have you ever been stopped, breathless, by the beauty of a sunset, the miracle of a newborn child, or someone’s smile that feels like it could light up the world? That is your breath, gently reminding you, that life is waiting for you to look up, from your phone, your stress and your doubts, and take it all in.
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take your breath away”- Maya Angelou
Your breath is this internal operator of importance. It can help signify you to all those opportunities, when the only thing that matters is the moment directly in front of you.
Your breath can be the greatest blessing you have, holding you responsible to honor the gifts given to you, all by letting itself be taken away. The breath does this to remind you, those beautiful blessings in life, that matter most, are so worthy of our time, our focus and our presence, that they can literally take our breath away.
Make every breath count
We are gifted with this life but often left to our own devices in figuring out how to live it. We are forever trying to navigate the waters of it all. It’s no easy task. But every breath we take, we are being given the chance to take in all this world has to offer. Our breath is there for our needs; whether sometimes we simply need it to clear our minds, or sometimes it’s the breath that helps us to slow down, stop and heal ourselves, and sometimes, it is the breath that reminds us that there is so much beauty in this world, it will take our breath away.
So, recognize the beauty in your breath. Learn to use your breath as you need. Maybe it will depend on the day, your emotions or the events in the world around you. But it is there for you, gifting you with life and opportunity. It asks nothing of you, lets you use it as you see fit, but only hopes, with each one it gives you, that you make it count, and recognize the beauty of the breath.