Have you ever paid attention to your breathing?  I know we all have when we get active and realize we are out of breath.  But I want to know if you pay attention to your breathing when you are just breathing.  We are a busy society running ourselves all over the place while we multi-task.  Can you put down your phone or not check your email or text messages?  It’s hard.  We have become wired to our society.  This constant barrage of information can take a toll on us.  Many people complain about how stressed out they become during the day.  This daily stress can then lead to sleepless nights, anxious moments, increased irritability, a change in our diet or lifestyles.  Stress can have a profound effect on not only our health but also our personal relationships.  We can become mindless of things happening around us because we are caught up in everything we were supposed to do or things that are waiting for us to do.  Life can get pretty busy.  So what can we do?  Breathe.  That’s right, breathe. 

Take a moment to sit down and get comfortable.  Now, breathe and notice your breath.  Notice how your body responds to the steady inhalation and exhalation of a bodily function that happens without us thinking about it.  What happens when we start to think about it?  Changes occur!  While you are breathing, don’t try to control your breath, just let the body do what it is designed to do.  All you have to do is notice how your body changes, notice how your muscles respond, how your shoulders and belly move.  While you are breathing, other thoughts may enter into your mind.  Don’t worry about them.  Notice them and let them flow out just like your breath flows out.  Return to noticing your breath.  As you breathe, you can repeat this great poem from Thich Nhat Hanh:

“Breathing in I calm my body.  Breathing out I smile.  Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment.”

Taking a few minutes each day to practice breathing can help you become more aware, more present in the current moment and may help to bring you a bit of calmness and peacefulness to our crazy days.  Remember, your breath is always with you.  All you have to do is stop and notice it for a few minutes.  Practice that everyday for a week and see what happens.  I’ll be interested in hearing if you notice any changes!

Happy Friday, enjoy!

~John

It’s Your Health. It’s Your Life. Make That Change!