Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Breathe...

Barbara: The other day when a friend was going through a really anxiety-ridden experience, I was reminded just how important it is for us to remember to breathe. And the more riddled with anxiety we get, the more important it is that we breathe! In out, in out. Remember?

Madge posted this beautiful stop-motion photo-montage to her FB the other day. It is a gorgeous meditation on breath. And also has a great message at the end.



20 comments:

  1. Barb, I can't tell you how much I needed that this morning. A very dear friend of mine passed away suddenly on Saturday afternoon and I feel full of anxiety this morning. I had just read something about Breathing from "Abraham" and then clicked on your blog. that is a beautiful piece from Greenpeace and I am breathing now.
    We are so fragile (more so than we think) and all of a sudden something in life can knock the breath out of you and you have to regain it somehow, that post sure helped me, it was a gift this morning. Thank you.

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  2. Here is what I had just finished reading....


    There is nothing about your physical awareness that connects you more to the Non-Physical aspect of your Being than that of your breathing.

    Many assume that the process of breathing is only about your physical nature, but that is not the case. The process of breathing is much more than an essential function of your physical body. Indeed, it is the flowing of Spirit to you, and through you. That is the reason that when the focusing of Spirit through your physical body ceases, your breathing ceases, also.

    Our meditation experience will induce a convergence of beneficial aspects for you, for as you relax into the natural rhythm of perfect breathing while hearing these spoken words, the Vibration of your physical being will gently surrender to the Vibrational frequency of your Source, and you will become one with your Source, inside the Vortex.

    Through the hearing of our words in your relaxed state of allowing, you will allow the gentle tuning of your Vibrational frequency to match the frequency of your Source.

    This will not be an exercise of effort or trying, but instead an exercise of releasing and allowing…gently allowing yourself to be who-you-really-are.

    --- Abraham

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  3. Oh, Mary-JO! Thanks so much for sharing. Serendipity, huh? I wonder how many of us here today will need this reminder to breathe (raises hand)!

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  4. My way to stop and breathe is to pick up my harmonica and play. If I play without paying attention to how I'm breathing or how I draw each breath I'll run out of air before I'm done the tune. I may be focused on playing a song but that means I'm also focused on each breath. Playing a harmonica is simply a deep breathing exercise with a tune.

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  5. Thanks for the shout out Barb. I am glad you enjoyed this. It could put me to sleep. I hope Deb's mom is home and doing well. This might help Deb and her Mom relax as well.

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  6. *raises both hands* I am constantly reminding myself to breathe deep into my belly - especially when the anxiety raises it's ugly head. I also remind myself when I'm breathing to relax to breathe deep into my belly - feeling it expand in and out slowly. This way, I'm getting the whole lungs involved.

    I keep in my head while doing this, "Bring in the love. Push away the hate..." It works for me.

    (Please note: I'm not a professional. I don't even play one on TV ... :D )

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  7. Barbara: did you know that the word breath is derived from the Latin spiritus, "to breathe" meaning soul, courage, vigor breath--? Breath is the very essence, the spirit of life. and as the stop-motion photo so beautifully shows, we aren't the only living beings to breathe--the earth itself breathes in pulsations: in the tides, in the opposing forces between day and night....Taking a moment to focus on the breath puts us in present moment--the only place we can actually experience the inner self. Thich Nhat Hahn has a saying to help bring us into present moment when our minds are racing ahead or scrolling back into the past and we are so scattered that we can't find our center. It is simply this: "Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in. Breathing out I know that I am breathing out." You probably know me well enough to know that I could pontificate about the breath for pages, but suffice it to say (for now) that breath IS life. One quick healing thought for all the smokers out there: think about the actions of smoking, INHALING and EXHALING. if you want to quit, try substituting a breathing practice.....xo & breath...........

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  8. Because of so much going on right now and because I work 7 days a week I have struggled with this for the past 2 weeks. I never get time to just set and breath. I know this is gonna sound silly but I feel like sometimes I am stuck In the middle of the world and can't get out. If that makes since at all. Anymore I just feel like I can't breath sometimes. I have home plus work pluse looking after everything else I am just tired and would love to be able to just sit and BREATH. My bad had to vent for a. Second. But If I didn't get this all off my chest I was gonna scream.

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  9. *raises both hands and both feet*

    I have had one crazy semester, and for the past month or so I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. With countless exams (it seems), homework, my job (although fairly laid back, it can get stressful at times), and the prospect of graduating and the real world, I've had several of those freak out days. But this past week was Thanksgiving break and I did not bring any schoolwork home with me. I was like, NO! I need this time out for myself! I knew I was going to regret it when i came back to school, but those four days were sure restful (although not long enough.)

    In two weeks, though, we get THREE WEEKS off! Looking forward to some much needed breathing there! :)

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  10. Yep. Had a not-so-pleasant experience this morning with a patient in the ER. I asked her if she wanted me to try to start her IV. She seemed reluctant, but long story short, I tried to start it and she pulled her arm away and yelled "That's enough! I don't want you doing that anymore!" I was caught off guard and a bit shaken. I left the room, calmed myself down, and proceeded with the rest of my day.

    The nurse said I did not do anything wrong. It just....shook me a little. I just remembered to take a deep breath; my clinical instructor told me it happens to the best nurses sometimes.

    Thanks for this reminder, Barb! :]

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  11. To be all Truthful with you all. I have been feeLing like I just want to be able to breath for a while now. I think for mE I just stress so much and it's gets all to much for me and I forget to just stop and just take a breath from life. There are so many times where I would like to just take the world and just say STOP.

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  13. Oh yes...I really need to take a deep breath. I've been so buys lately...and I can't take it anymore.

    I feel so empty and tired. So I just take a deeeeep breath, and relax for the rest of the evening (it's half past nine pm over here).

    Stumbled over a (german) song that fits, too...

    It is about that you can only do one thing at a time (loosely translated):

    A man visits his father. He is very stressed. He can't get anything done.
    He asks his father, why he is so calm and relaxed. And his father says:

    When I sleep, I'm sleeping.
    When I get up, I'm getting up.
    When I walk, I'm walking.
    When I eat, I'm eating.
    When I work, I'm working.
    When I plan, I'm planning.
    When I talk, I'm talking.
    When I listen, I'm listening.

    The son says: That's bullshit. I do it exactly the same way, and it doesn't work.

    The father says: No, I tell you how you do it:

    When you sleep, you're already getting up.
    When you get up, you're already walking.
    When you walk, you're already eating.
    When you eat, you're already working.
    When you work, you're already planning.
    When you plan, you're already talking.
    When you talk, you're already listening.
    When you listen, you're already sleeping.

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  14. Erin, the harmonica! How wonderful. Love the harmonica. Madge, thanks for sharing the link.

    Jo, I love that mantra. That works so perfectly with the flow of breath too. And weirdly, when I'm stressed I have more trouble breathing OUT than in. Weird, huh?

    Lori, oh, yeah (in a nice prolonged "yeaaaah"). Just reading your comment relaxed and calmed me. Lyndsie, I was on set filming today and trying to remember the breathing thing -- and when you're shooting (like most any work) you can't always say "stop, I need a moment", but reminding myself to breathe THROUGH the work process was incredibly helpful.

    Holly, yay!! And Kelly, wow. I bet this kind of thing happens a lot to nurses. It's good to develop your coping strategies. (like breathing :) ). Becki, love love love this song. Perfect.

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  15. Barb, thank you for posting this. Madge, thank you as well for posting it originally. I found it calming just to watch the video. I got so into it that everything around me ceased to exist, and all I did was watch and breathe.

    I find deep breathing particularly helpful on long drives. It does help me stay awake, a learning experience I've applied to other situations. I also love to sing in the car and I've learned, like Erin with her harmonica, that I can hold a note much longer when I breathe so that my "body" expands, filling with air.

    Breathing is such an automatic thing (good thing, huh?) that seldom do we pay attention to how much more good it can do us.

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  16. This is lovely and a great reminder of something we all need to do. Thanks Barb :)

    On a completely unrelated note - Rigel, I was disappointed by the lack of Nathan Fillion on my doorstep today lol

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  17. What a wonderful reminder of the importance of good, deep cleansing breaths. Some of the best choral directors and voice instructors I've worked with over the years always started rehersals with deep breathing before we even began making music. It not only helps the singing, but it connects you with your body, which is something that is so important when you are striving for your best sound. Those exercises have served me well over the years.
    Oh, and Kelly...try not to get too discouraged about your experience today, although I know it's hard. Your instructor was right, it happens to everyone. A month or two ago I had pretty much the exact same thing happen to me while starting an IV, and I've been a nurse for over 4 years! I've known nurses who've been practicing for 20 years who still have experiences like that. Those situations don't really get easier (thankfully, they don't happen too often), but you will get better at coping with it and shaking it off. Keep working on that deep breathing - it will serve you well during your career!
    ~Tomine

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  18. Deep breathing works great when you're in traffic and want to kill someone for cutting in front of you, etc... Take a deep breath and slowly let it out, repeat twice. You'll be relaxed and able to deal with it better. I used to do the breathing exercise when I worked on a help desk answering phones. Helps when dealing with difficult people.

    Elle, If you happen to get Nathon Fillion on your doorstep could you set him out on the steps the next morning? I want him too....to paint my house..naked, of course, while I have a few Irish Coffees. :)
    Karen

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  19. ...Nathan Fillion...Fingers got all excited thinking about it. *giggles like a little girl*
    :)
    Karen

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  20. Sorry Karen, no sign of him :( Where's my birthday present Rigel? lol. Karen, if he turns up at yours by mistake then I expect pictures at least :P

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