My breath – My powerbase – an unusual title and the theme for this week.
Our breath is controlled firstly by our autonomic, or rest-and-digest, nervous system. But the beauty is that it can also be controlled by free will – that is us.
When I have control of my breath everything else seems to come into line, everything seems easier.
I love my breath, especially my loooong out-breath. It makes me realize how much I actually am in control when my breath is soft, long lingering.
The moment I focus on my breath, my thoughts calm down, slip away and disappear into the distance like notes spilling out from the opening of a saxophone…..
When I step into my breath, I step into my power. Everything goes calm, sweet, chill. I become acutely aware of all that is around me – the noises, the sounds, the vibrations, things that I see and notice. It is like I step fully into the Now, and time has no meaning.
In a stark contrast I am in my Gym, with my clients. I am observing almost on a daily base how restricted the breath can be, and how it impacts everything from confidence, performance and clear thinking. Last, but not least, the dreaded words Stress and Anxiety.
It surprises me constantly how we have lost that sense of calm – which reflects in our breath. As soon as most people start exerting themselves only just a tiny bit the breath stops or becomes squeezed.
Even when stretching or reaching I sense the restriction. Continuous breath seems to have vanished and everything appears to need to be done under pressure.
The other thing I noticed is that when a bigger exertion happens, the breath has a way of running away, getting out of control. This leads to literally feeling like “crap”, if I may say it so.
A great analogy would be in watching a fight – i.e. boxing or so – and picking the person who will lose the fight before the fight is finished. I can almost guarantee that it will be the one who lost control of their breath.
If this is anything you feel you can relate to, it might be time to take note of your breath.
Remembering….throughout the day….to check in with yourself and observe. Does your breath run away on you?
I wonder how would it feel for you to be so calm, so connected, and so much more present, so that you can have that sense of confidence and clarity of mind that was yours in the beginning.
Breathe well.
