Day two of no judgment. It's liberating, not to have to live up to someone else’s expectations or constantly looking over my shoulder for validation, approval or affirmation.
Life is simple when it’s reduced to its bare necessity - and what is necessary for living? The breath. Yes, it is that simple. Just the breath. In the breath lies all power and solution. How is this so?
Breath is power
Fundamentally, the breath is life. The breath is everything. Without the breath, there is no life, no you, no me. Without breath, there is no family, friends, work, health, enjoyment.
Yet for most of us, we live the better part of our days and lives rushing from hour to hour, place to place, activity to activity, person to person, and all the time, ignoring the very essential that enables all of that - our breath.
Breath is solution
When we take a moment to observe our breath and be thankful that we are breathing regularly, we find all that we need right there in that very moment. It resets us, even for a brief moment, and brings to the forefront of our consciousness, what’s truly important, what needs to be done, and what’s elemental. That is the solution we need to live today, perhaps even for tomorrow and in the near future.
I’m not getting into meditation or yoga yet (though I will, soon enough. I’m sure you saw that coming). I’m merely talking about breathing.
Breathe to change
Our breath changes in response to our emotions. When we’re upset, angry, or anxious, our breaths become shallow and rapid. Studies have shown that when we actively change the rate of our breathing (from shallow and rapid to deep and slow), we can actually change our mood and emotions. In other words, we could turn a negative emotion around by being aware of and taking control of our breathing.
For the scientific ones of you, here’s how it works:
With each breath, millions of sensory receptors in the respiratory system sends signals to the brainstem. Fast breathing triggers the brain at a higher rate, causing it to activate the sympathetic nervous system which turns up stress hormones, heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, sweat production, and anxiety. On the other hand, slowing your breathing induces the parasympathetic response which dials down all of the above as it turns up relaxation, calm, and mental clarity.
Life is hard as it is. It doesn’t have to be any harder because we get to harness the essential tool we have in our arsenal - our breath.
When we use our breath skillfully, we induce the right and healthy physiological response necessary to our situation as needed. Common everyday conditions like stress, anxiety, and poor sleep could be improved when we pay disciplined attentiveness to the breath and regulate it to our desired state.
All of these words only to convey one simple message - be mindful of your breath, and you’ll be aware of your emotion. Change you breath, and change your emotion.
Me breathing underwater