Just Breathe
Photo taken by author
Just breathe.
The simplest of actions, but so often forgotten.
The whirlwind of action and movement distract us from remembering and regulating the fundamentals of being a human.
Just Breathe.
I always aim to find my breath three times during the day. Sometimes it’ll be during a meeting. Sometimes it’ll be as I’m preparing my food.
Sometimes it’ll be as I stand in my bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror. Doesn’t matter when and where. All that matters is that I reconnect with myself.
Just breathe.
Photo taken by author
While meditation is a great way to control your breath and recharge, I noticed that I had to learn to find my breath in intense moments as well.
I started paying attention to how my body reacted during each emotional state I was in.
When I was stressed, my stomach felt tense. When I was sad, my body felt heavy. When I was happy, I felt open. When I was angry, I felt hot.
If I feel hot, I know I’ve transitioned from happy to anger. After I spot the transition, I find my breath so that the anger doesn’t cloud my decision-making and that I make sure the scenario in front of me gets treated appropriately.
By becoming familiar with my body at all moments or emotional states, I learn to recognize tension Within Me.
Just Breathe.
I’m not perfect. I haven’t mastered this technique, but when I do I’m confident I did the right thing. Oftentimes, the energy used to react can be saved for something else that’s more important.
Just breathe.
Photo taken by author
How do you feel right now? Are you happy, sad, mad, annoyed, confused? How do you feel physically? Take note of how your body mirrors your mental. I’m sure you may not always feel the same way every time you have a certain emotion.
Maybe the last time you were sad your body felt cold, but today when you’re sad your body feels numb. The goal is to have a general idea of how the physical and emotional bodies respond to each other.
When you feel different sensations for an emotion, you can take note of them and assign multiple physical responses to an emotion. The purpose or goal is simply to be aware of it physical shifts so that you can remember to breathe and calm yourself down.
And remember, we are not suppressing the emotion.
We are simply trying to get to a more clear State.
Your breath is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal — and it’s free. I highly suggest you use it!
Just breathe.