01: Mirror of Breath
Breath is where much of my curiosity has been for quite some time. And lately, I have really focused on it. I have been taking classes ranging from anatomy to energy and voice that concentrate on breath or simply touch on it. I have been reading books about breath. And I have been experimenting with and consciously observing my own breath. It has been fascinating.
Breathing is the first act of life outside the womb and it’s the final act at the end of this experience of life. And it’s a beginning movement and ending movement that occurs thousands of times in a single day.
Bringing greater awareness to breath has taught me so much about movement, my patterns, my thoughts, and my being.
I was introduced to a two-stage conscious breathing meditation practice about six months ago and was invited to practice it daily. I sometimes stay in a rhythm of daily practice and sometimes in one where I don’t, but I’ve noticed that regardless of the rhythm, the practice itself has inspired me to notice my breath in stillness, movement, and daily activities of life.
Years ago, while training for a marathon, I explored effective ways to breath and experimented with different patterns and how I might improve my performance or efficiency. However, recently, I have been noticing my breath with its natural rhythm and how the movement of breath dances with the movement of walking and running – where it flows where it’s held. When I invite more movement of breath (or even just attention and letting breath follow) to areas that feel constricted, the constriction releases. And I’ve noticed that a byproduct is not only performance improvement, but also a greater connection to the present moment and to myself.
As I’m with my breath, I naturally become more observational and there’s a pause to all the meaning making, analytical loops, and strategizing. Lightness and spaciousness emerges. My senses and connection to what’s around me, the sounds in my environment and my spatial awareness, gets amplified and I feel more of a sense of oneness to what might otherwise feel like other. It surprises me sometimes that something so simple can be so transcendent. It has also been illuminating to discover the relationship between breath and posture (more on this later) and how breath informs and transforms my relationship to gravity. It quietly or profoundly impacts movement, patterns, thoughts, and how I show up to life.
Inhales and exhales also remind me of beginnings and endings and how allowing myself to be with and expand my range of emotions (both “positive” and “negative” and everything in between) in the present moment is simply a natural cycle. It’s like traffic lights turning and green and red. I can linger in the joy of catching a green light or the frustration of a red light, or do that every time and be with them as they come, letting them go as they pass. And the same is true of relationships, experiences, and every other thing I could name. Life and death all day long.
Breath, you really invite me to see how big and beautiful life truly is and I’m grateful for how we have been in this exploration. My wonder and appreciation for life and its unfolding has been enriched through this new dynamic.
Acknowledgements:
Bobby and Sheila: In some magical and beautiful way, the co-creation among us allowed me to enter this world and take my first breath. I’m grateful for how your partnership and creativity brought me into this world and for your care and attention, especially in my early years. It has been a gift to be your daughter through the tough moments and the most luminous ones. Thank you for choosing each other and for choosing me.
Lo and Lee: Our book club sparked much more curiosity than I ever expected. Thank you for the book recommendation that turned into a three-way conversation of sharing and experimenting with breath. It unlocked a path of wonder that I’ve been traveling and deepening into ever since.
Tom: I first stumbled across your work through an ABMP publication. Thank you for following your curiosity and sharing it with the world. I have learned so much from your experience, knowledge, and way of being. How you reflect what’s true of your experience while also acknowledging other perspectives and even the limits of your own, feels deeply expansive. I have found inspiration, not just through your work, but also in your way of teaching.
David: I am grateful to have discovered you and your work through a podcast. Thank you for walking the path you’ve chosen. I have learned so much about self-love and exchange through being in your presence and also through reading your book. I also appreciate the playfulness, lightness, directness, and joy you bring to what you share.
Paula: I never expected to make such a rich and beautiful local connection through Zoom rather than through an in-person event. It’s such a joy to chat, laugh, and explore our shared curiosities around breath, the body, and our experience of life. I am so grateful our paths have crossed and I’m excited for what is emerging. Thank you for being you.
