What is the one thing you do everyday, all day? Breath! We do it without even thinking about it. It is the one thing we do in the present, every moment. It is life giving. We take it for granted.
When we are in distress, our breath becomes heightened and we pump more oxygen into our vital organs. When we are upset, angry, frustrated, we can also take a breath with intention. When we inhale deeply, from our belly up through our ribs and chest, and then exhale deeply, again all the way down to our belly, we produce a physiological reaction within. This has an impact both physically and mentally.
Go ahead-try it…take a deep breath in and slowly push all the air out. Did your body relax a little? Did you feel a little more settled? Most people will. When ever you are in turmoil, I recommend taking 3 deep breaths in filling your lungs, exhaling slowly all the way down to your belly. First you give yourself a pause to re-group. This pause may help you settle yourself and prevent you from saying or doing something you might regret. It also allows you to focus inward, rather than outward. In reality, the only thing we can control is ourselves, so we should always start with settling ourselves.
While we breath without thinking about it, by intentionally taking several deep breaths, we can take control of how we are responding to what is going on around us. Those intentional breaths give a pause and allows us to focus our attention. These deep breaths are something we can all use as a means to settle and regroup.
May you take those deep breaths when needed as you journey along your path!