Are you breathing?

Sometimes I need to check. Holding the breath is such a patterned response to stress or pressure that I don't always notice I'm doing it. As I took in Judy Warner's previous post, I got quieter inside. Alternatively, when I am in a hectic environment or with another person who's uncentered or tense, I kind of "catch" their tension. Have you noticed this yourself?

You can become a more centered person by becoming more aware of your breathing. For example, one practice you can try right now is to notice how many times you hold your breath in the next hour. Extend it for a longer period if you like, but an hour is long enough. As soon as you catch yourself, you can breathe again. You'll be surprised how often you stop.

Another related practice is to begin to notice where tension lodges in your body and then let it go. Check it out right now. How is your forehead, your jaw, your tongue, your eyelids? Not to mention shoulders, lower back, and joints. At first you may think you're relaxed. As you connect more deeply with these different areas, notice if there are subtler levels of tension you can let go of? Usually there are.

This tension affects how we experience the world and how flexible we can be in managing what the world sends our way. Send energy into these areas and allow it to transform the tension into connection -- with yourself and your environment.

Breathe now, breathe often. Notice tension and let it go. Sit quietly. Be. Just be.

Judy Ringer