breath of life 1

Upon arrival to this big green planet, we breathe in out first inspiration and when we leave, we let out our final breath. In between there is a whole lot of breathing going on! In this article we will look at some ways we can mingle intention with breath to achieve greater mental clarity, health and wellness.
Winter time is Wisdom time… time to reflect over the past year and glean the pearls of our existence; celebrate our accomplishments (breathe in), let go of that which no longer serves us (breathe out,) then become inspired for the year ahead. BREATHE! Breathing can even assist us in daily basis energetic “house(body)keeping.” Our breath tells a lot about us. Are we breathing fully and deeply? Do we take a bigger in breath than out breath? Are we feeling fear and holding our breath and breathing shallowly? Pay attention right now and check in with your breath. Do not attempt to change it in any way for now, simply observe where you are and the quality of your breathing.
I am a swimmer and regulating breathing is crucial when swimming competitively. Swimmers play with breathing patterns in practice to feel how different patterns produce different results. Learning different patterns of breathing during exercise has helped me to use it in daily life to clarify my mind, clear emotions and as a healing force.
Breathing is an amazing carrier of energy. Have you ever experienced shamanic breath work? Breathing together for a sustained time gazing into the eyes of your partner is an amazing and intimate experience as well. If you haven’t tried these ideas, you could put them on your list of things to try in 2011. Breathing is really powerful .
Breath is a carrier of the life force. It can be used for healing. I work with a massage therapist who has helped me for over 8 years. Whenever there is a sore, tight spot or energetically stuck place, I have a tendency to hold my breath and clamp down or squirm to avoid the pain. He patiently reminds me to breathe right there. “An ounce of breathin’ is worth a pound of squirmin’,” he says! You would think I’d remember that by now. When we feel pain or fear we tend to stop breathing. Nothing could be less effective since we want to get the energy flowing again!