Release

Today is a beautiful day! Do you feel it? Take a moment now to close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Breathe deep into your belly, feel your belly expand as the air fills you entirely from the crown of your head to the bottom of your feet. And exhale. Release the tension in your face, in your shoulders, in your legs. Continue breathing this way as long as you would like.

I am an advocate for conscious breathing. This may sound silly, but stick with me. Try to think of the last time you really breathed deeply and intentionally. Our bodies keep us alive without much thought, but that does not mean we should not be giving gratitude to our bodies for completing these functions, as well as giving our full attention to the action when we can.

Before I began my healing journey, I never gave much thought to my breath or how much tension I was holding on to in my body. Simply sending my awareness to these things brought me a wave of relief, physically and mentally. Allowing myself these moments of silence, these moments of focus, showed me a new way of perceiving the space around me. I began to notice the way my body moved with each breath. I noticed any discomfort in parts of my body I had never focused my attention before. I noticed the feeling of the chair I was sitting on as it pressed against my skin. I began to notice. Everything. 

My migraines stopped completely. I tend to clench my jaw and hold a lot of tension in my face muscles. After acknowledging these physical tendencies, I began allowing myself to release them. Now, I purposefully think to myself "release the tension." I release the stress. I release the control. Your body is responding in ways to protect you. When you feel you are in danger, your body clenches and prepares to protect itself. Intentionally taking the time to show your body you are safe allows it to reach a state of calm. This state is where I enjoy spending my time.

With this intentional breathing, I was not only more aware of the physical space around me, but also the mental space. I began participating in guided mediations. Breathing deeply is a form of mediation on it's own, but allowing an outside voice to enter my mind while breathing brought me to a new level of understanding. My mind had the tendency to race and think about the past, including things I should have done, things others should have done, and so on. Having specific directions on what to visualize helped me circumvent my old thought patterns. Think of it as rewiring your brain.

This technique is also helping me expand creatively. For most of my life, I believed I could not picture images in my mind. I did not play make believe as a child or picture images in my mind as I read books. I thought I was incapable, but the truth is, I just did not understand HOW to do it. Calming my racing mind was a key factor in this realization. Of course I couldn't conjure images, I was always thinking of something else at the same time. Now, I allow myself to be in the moment and my creative mind thanks me for it.

If you are interested in trying these practices, but do not know where to start, just find a space where you can be alone and try breathing deeply in silence. This is where it all began for me and it can begin there for you too.

I hope you find some calm and continue to spread your love and light. 

Stay well.