I'll never forget when I originally saw the movie What's Love Got to Do with It. It was my first introduction to Buddhism and I was fascinated watching Tina Turner (played by Angela Basset) chanting "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" as she struggled to escape her abusive relationship from her husband.
Tina, in real-life chanting
Although I am a Christian, there are several philosophies in Buddhism that have made a real difference in my life: Keep a Beginners Mind, Ask Questions, Practice Mindfulness...to name a few. As of yesterday, I've also added one more to the list: Follow the Breath...which I can see now has been sorely missing.
In layman's terms, following the breath is about getting present to the life force in your body. When the breath is shallow and stressed, the thinking follows. Focusing on the breath and deepening it promotes relaxation, healing, and peace.
Yesterday, in a long overdue yoga session led by friend Melissa, one of the first exercises was to get present to our breathing. "Just focus on your breath. Don't change anything," Melissa soothed from the front of the room. "What does it feel like? Is it short, shallow, high, low, in your chest, in your stomach?" For the record, at that moment, my breath was non-existent. I was holding it...an act I do frequently, according to my husband.
Several times, Melissa prompted us through a meditative breathing lesson. "Breathe in through your stomach and fill it with air," she said. Then, she focused the breath into higher places (like a layer cake), from bottom to middle, middle to top. With every inhale, the message was clear. "You don't do this enough," my body screamed.
Today, the message became even louder. "Breathe," the massage therapists ordered over and over again while working on my painful joints. "Let go." So, all evening, that's been the practice. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out...
To learn more about the healthy benefits of breathing, go here.
Altered Today: Oxygen intake, peace of mind
I try to breathe deep and to meditate... both bore the hell out of me.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 04/26/2011 at 01:42 PM