A Breath of Fresh Air
We’ve all heard the saying before “A breath of fresh air.” How often do you actually stop to take one in though? How often do you take a moment to appreciate what your breath does for you. You know the feeling when one of your nostrils finally becomes unclogged and you can breathe freely through both of them again? That’s a wonderful feeling and in that moment we appreciate our breath so much more than previous moments. Is it possible to appreciate our breath in this way all the time? I believe so and I’ll explain why.
Breathing is the very first thing that we do when we come into the world, and it is the last thing we do before we leave. No matter where we go, no matter where we are, our breath will always be with us. Our breath is just like a friend who is there with us through the ups and downs in life. There to help us manage through those times when we need a little something extra. When we think about how precious our breath truly is and what it does for use, we can have a greater appreciation for it. With a greater appreciation for it, it can also become more powerful. We can use our breath in many ways to help us in our daily lives. We can regulate our emotions, reduce our stress or anxiety, make us more relaxed, calm or hyped up, enhance focus, quiet thoughts that might not be helpful, and last but not least, ground us in the present moment.
The breath is much like an anchor on a boat (or tugboat), that helps ground us in the present moment. Our breath can be an extremely powerful tool that we are able to use at any moment in life, and it is a tool that you will never be without. It is such a seemingly simple act that can benefit us greatly in a multitude of ways. Most of our day, if not all of our day, we go without noticing our breath, unless one of your nostrils are clogged and you cannot wait until you are able to breathe out of both again. But we can learn to take moments during our day to notice the breath and to re-center ourselves in the present moment. Feel free to practice the steps below whenever you want to take a moment for yourself. You can repeat the process below as many times as you would like.
Inhale through the nose for four seconds
Hold your breath for four seconds
Exhale through your mouth for four seconds
Hold for four seconds