February 2014

Just breathe. How many times have you heard that? We hear it in songs. We hear it as words of advice. We may even hear ourselves saying it to others. But how often do we actually do it? Right now, are you breathing shallowly or deeply? Or are you holding your breath? Take a breath right now. Take a deep one. Blow it out. As you blow it out, blow out the tension that you are holding in your body. Let your neck, shoulders, back, jaw relax. Do that three times. How do you feel now?

Often when we breathe, deeply and slowly, blowing out tension and stress while we are doing it, we feel better. We may feel calmer, more relaxed. We may even feel that we can think more clearly. Perhaps even allowing that huge problem that we were focused on to diminish and gain its real size.

When we breather and relax, the world is not so overwhelming. When we breathe deeply, we may even feel more positive and able to grab on to the idea that we are capable and competent, that we will be able to deal with what life throws at us.

So just breathe. And enjoy the journey.