What better day than THIS DAY to start fresh? We can learn something new today. Something we all do, but this is a new take on it, or it was for me.
Breathing.
Not just breathing but Conscious Breathing.
Breathing is a beautiful gift.
We can so often and so easily take breathing for granted.
That is until we don’t.
While we can, let’s learn to cherish our breath. Let’s learn to use our breath to help ourselves in ways we may not have considered.
Thich Nhat Hahn wrote in Pease is Every Step about Conscious Breathing (pages 8-10). Conscious breathing is a technique used to help us be more alive. Conscious breathing is breathing on purpose, with intention, and giving attention for a few minutes to our breath. We can use several techniques to help us enjoy life; this is one of them.
“As you breathe in, you say to yourself, ‘Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in.’ and as you breathe out, say, ‘Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.’ Just that. You recognize your in-breath and your out-breath. You don’t even need to recite the whole sentence; you can just use two words: ‘In’ and ‘out.’ This technique can help you keep your mind on your breath. As you practice, your breath will become peaceful and gentle, and your mind and body will also become peaceful and gentle. This is not a difficult exercise. In just a few minutes, you can realize the fruit of meditation.”
He goes on to say: “ In our busy society, it is a great fortune to breathe consciously from time to time. We can practice conscious breathing not only while sitting in a meditation room, but also while working at the office or home, driving our car, or sitting on a bus, where we are, at any time throughout the day. There are many exercises we can do to help us breathe consciously. Besides the simple ‘In-Out’ exercises, we can recite these four lines silently as we breathe in and out:
Breathing in I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is a wonderful moment!
Thich Nhat Hanh was a remarkable man, and I would encourage you to learn more about his life and his work and explore some of his teachings in books and utube videos. He has left a beautiful legacy and shared his insights and wisdom with many. He meditated daily and taught many the simple ways meditation can make a tremendous difference in our life. The practice of conscious breathing is one of many types of meditation. A good place to begin and a good place to go back to, no matter how long we have been meditating.
We can all learn to practice conscious breathing and may be surprised how this little exercise can help us meet our needs in life too. Imagine the differences; things change from the inside out as we begin to meditate in different ways. This may impact how we meet The 5 Needs we have in life over time. Staying Alive, Love and Belonging, Freedom and Boundaries, Power and Fun can each be impacted differently as we practice conscious breathing. We can experiment with conscious breathing if it feels right for us. Keep in mind that this may not be for you, and it is not for everyone; we each have our own path. We are each on our own journey. Respect your path and only try what seems right for you now. There is no “right way” or “one size fits all” in life.
Here are some important things to keep in mind if you choose to explore breathing to become more aware and as a form of meditation practice:
- This is a no-judgment zone. We do what we do because we do it, as we do it, and we do not judge ourselves. We simply practice breathing. Done.
- We can choose what works for us at this time. This may change. We can start, stop, learn as we go, and become more aware of our breathing. This is simple but can be difficult for some people too. That is no problem. We can begin with one or two minutes. Then stop. Increase weekly if we can or not. There is no judgment.
- Enjoy the journey. Learning to practice any form of meditation can be an interesting journey. Let’s enjoy our journey. Yes, this life choice can take discipline and determination at times to keep doing any form of meditation and conscious breathing, and it can bring peace and joy. We can see a rippling effect in our life as we do these simple things, like conscious breathing on a regular routine. This can make a difference in our lives.
- Keep in mind that our journey is our journey. We may want to bring others along, which may be wrong for them now. We want to respect ourselves and others. Doing what is best and right for me is not the best for others. We each get to choose what is the way for us. This can be hard because when we find things that work for us and help us, it is natural to want to share with those we care about, just as I am sharing here. That is no problem. Then we let it go. We get to decide for ourselves, as does everyone else.
May we each find our own way.
May we find those in our lives who can share our joys.
May we discover mutually enriching relationships.
Conscious breathing can impact our entire life. Not overnight, we may not even notice for some time, but a difference will be seen in time. Imagine a pebble being thrown into a pond; that happens as we practice conscious breathing or other types of meditation and become more aware. In time, we may see an impact on how we meet each of The 5 Needs in Life.
Please note:
All of our blogs are intended for educational purposes only. These are not intended as “advice” or any form of therapeutic intervention. Please contact your doctor, or local mental health office for help with individual problems or concerns. You may also call 988 to speak with a person about self-harm thoughts.
You matter. Help and hope are there for you.
