The Breath : Your Fastest Path to the Present Moment
In one of my absolute favorite romantic comedies - Music and Lyrics - Hugh Grant’s character, a down-on-his-luck ex-pop star, is trying to convince Drew Barrymore’s character, a writer who has given up on herself, to write the lyrics for what he hopes will be his comeback song. What he says is this: “You can take all the novels in the world and not one of them will make you feel as good, as fast, as ‘I got sunshi-i-ine, on a cloudy day…’.
That’s how I feel about the breath.
You can sit for all of the meditations you want and practice all of the yoga you desire (and I do), but nothing will put you in the moment as well and as fast as one conscious breath. Those other practices are very beneficial, of course, but they are a bit separate from life. You have to take time out from your daily activities to practice yoga. To meditate. Sure, the object is to bring the benefits from each with you into the world, but you can’t quite call on either of them when you are out there.
Once, I was in the weight room of my gym. In the back is a small enclosed room where a yoga class was taking place. Apparently, at that time, there had been something wrong with the fan in the small room. I know this because, all of a sudden, the yoga teacher came storming out of the room in a huff, cursing angrily about the problem. Separate, wouldn’t you say? :)
Conscious breathing, on the other hand, can be done anywhere, anytime. It can become integrated into your life. And accessed always.
Most of the time we don’t have to remember to breathe, our bodies do it for us. It just happens. Subconsciously – like your heart beating.
But if you are in a very stressful situation, this might change. You might start subconsciously holding your breath. You might begin breathing very shallowly. And you might not even notice that that’s what you’re doing. Unless, you have been practicing breathing consciously. Then, the chance that you will notice what’s happening, and be able to shift and move the breath through you in a more productive, helpful way will increase dramatically.
According to the Yale School of Medicine, when we encounter stress, our sympathetic nervous system automatically triggers a fight or flight response. Highly stressful and/or low-level chronically stressful situations can contribute to increased blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension along with psychological reactions such as anxiety and irritability - all of which can impair our health and well-being. We can, though, intentionally reset balance through deep breathing. Slow, diaphragmatic breaths stimulate the vagus nerve — which runs from the base of the brain to our organs — signaling safety to our bodies and minds.
Being a singer, I have been trained up, down and sideways on how to use my diaphragmatic breath. It is essential. The breath is what the voice floats upon, the vowels come through and what stops for a fraction of a second with some consonants.
I always wondered though, why after I sang, I felt so wonderful. I mean, no matter where or when – at home in front of no-one, on stage in front of audiences, coaching, practicing, at rehearsal. Always. There was something that just felt different – in my energy, in my mind, in my body. It’s hard to describe – I am sure many of you know the feeling – something more spacious, more joyful, more me. I had just assumed that this was solely because I love to sing. Plain and simple. But now I have learned that it is more than that. IT IS THE BREATH!
“By increasing oxygen intake and improving oxygenation to the brain, deep breathing helps increase mental clarity, focus, and alertness. In addition, prolonged exhalation stimulates the vagus nerve, causing greater relaxation and the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and endorphins, which elevate mood."
–The National Library of Medicine
A few sentences later in that movie scene, Hugh Grant continues talking about those lyrics and says, “That is real poetry”. I feel that there is also a poetry in the breath.
Inhale and the diaphragm sinks down, the belly goes out. Exhale and everything moves back to its former position. Just air moving in and out. The feel of the breath on the back of your throat. The sensation of your whole body being oxygenated. The subtle – or intense – feeling of being connected. The human body working so beautifully. That is real poetry.
The ultimate gift of the breath though – I mean, other than it keeping us alive – takes us back to where we started: the present moment.
Walking down the street
In a stressful meeting
On the phone with someone who is irritating you
While cleaning
Surrounded by a ton of people
Even while having a lovely conversation with someone you love
It gives us the ability to be really there. Fully.
Our minds have been trained to think. To think. All the time. And of course, thinking is great. It is necessary. When it’s productive. When it helps us. But not when it keeps us stuck – stuck in our stories, stuck in our pasts, stuck in our fears for the future, stuck in negative and unproductive thoughts and stuck in believing we are our thoughts.
“The stream of thinking has enormous momentum that can easily drag you along with it.
Every thought pretends that it matters so much. It wants to draw your attention in completely.
Whenever you are immersed in compulsive thinking you are avoiding what is. You don’t want to be where you are. Here. Now. ”
And there really are endless benefits to being in the present moment.
The ability to appreciate the beautiful trees while walking down the street.
The capability to really hear and take in what people are saying in that stressful meeting.
The capacity to find some separation so as not to be reactive to that irritating person on the phone.
The potential to enjoy something about the cleaning.
The facility to maintain a bit of stillness surrounded by a ton of people.
The power to connect even more deeply in that lovely conversation with that person you love.
And the fastest, simplest, most accessible path to being present? You already know. One conscious breath.
In A New Earth, Eckhart tells a story of a person who asked him to recommend some courses at a large spiritual organization. This is what he said: “I don’t know. They all look so interesting. But I do know this. Be aware of your breathing as often as you are able, whenever you remember. Do that for one year, and it will be more powerful than attending all of these courses. And it’s free.”
So why don't we go ahead and try it now?!
Slowly Inhale 2…3
Slowly Exhale 2…3
Again:
Slowly Inhale 2…3
Slowly Exhale 2…3
There you are. Right here. Right now. Present.
If you're ready to create a home that helps you breathe more easily — and would like some guidance along the way —
I'd be honored to help.