There is amazing power in this breathing thing. I find that the most important time for me to remember to become aware of my breathing is when I am just waking up. That is when my mind tries to grab hold of me with its wily tricks and put me in a funk. I often wake up feeling agitated. My mind says, “you slept too late,” or “I don’t want it to be morning yet,” or any number of things that trigger feelings of guilt and dread. I can cause all of it to come to a screeching halt if I remember my breathing.
My belly is rising. Falling. Rising. Falling.
I am okay here in the field of Now.
Look at the fern-shaped shadow cast on the wall. Listen to the water coming through the pipes as someone upstairs runs a faucet.
Listen to the silence surrounding the sound of the water in the pipes.
There is always just this moment. The present moment is all there ever is.
I can handle that.
8 responses so far ↓
claire // November 18, 2007 at 10:56 am |
amen to going against society’s monetary values, dear sister!!! we’ll all be cheering you on :o) i’m convinced all in blogland can offer alternative values to explore…
Jessie // November 18, 2007 at 11:05 am |
ooh, i almost got attacked by the “you slept to late” monster, but then i surprised myself and said out loud: “ahhhhh, doesn’t it feel gooood to still be in bed?!” :) it worked. the monster went away.
thank you for writing in such detail about breathing. your thoughts make me pay more attention to my breath–and that’s a good thing. ;)
lots of love!
j.
Annie // November 18, 2007 at 12:24 pm |
Just this morning I woke up and thought “no, not yet” so I turned over, laid still for a moment or two and then thought, “now”.
brandi // November 18, 2007 at 1:35 pm |
I have recently begun starting my day with a visualization-before the teeth brushing and the dog walking and the ironing and the blah, blah. I totally see the difference when I start my day consciously rather than let the mind babble start up immediately.
btw, I am going to the 7 random things soon…I swear :-) thanks for tagging me!!!! I love those things!
RWman // November 18, 2007 at 4:19 pm |
Have U ever focused on the moment of silence between inhale and exhale. It’s a wonderful meditation before going to sleep or on the verge of waking up.
JourneyThroughLife - Annie // November 18, 2007 at 4:36 pm |
Kelly, I just wanted to say how thankful I am for your post today. I woke up in a funk after being given a clear and concise spiritual answer last night. And I didn’t know how I could go forth. Then I read this post. I’m still in a bit of a funk, but now I can go forth with breathing and appreciating the moment. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I also thanked you in my post.
Much love,
Annie
xxx
storyteller // November 18, 2007 at 5:28 pm |
I followed Annie’s link here, read your post, and am reminded how whenever I feel stressed and stop to pay attention … I notice I’m holding my breath. Gradually, I’ve learned to exhale (often sighing deeply as I release whatever I’ve been clinging to) creating room within to inhale and relax. Thanks for the reminder about how following the breath moves us into the moment where anything seems possible … right now.
Hugs and blessings,
Matthew Spears // November 19, 2007 at 3:34 am |
The present moment is all there is. However, the present moment is everything. It includes the past. It includes all you think of as “Now”. It includes what things could be. It includes so many resources that the thought of being alone is laughable when presence is Now.
Loving Awareness