Just Breathe

"As you breathe in, cherish yourself. As you breathe out, cherish all Beings." -H.H. The Dalai Lama

Breathing, the first thing our body does after we are born and the last thing it does before we die. Something we very rarely think about because it is a natural function, but we should. So come with me now on a journey. One of discovery and exploration. One that will open your mind and hopefully ease the struggles of everyday life. A voyage, if you will, towards the inner core of "You".

Breathe deep, let the air around you fill your nostrils as if it were filling a vessel. A deep cleansing breath. Feel yourself beginning to relax when you slowly exhale that breath. Don't think to hard on the act itself, just let it happen. It doesn't matter where you are, the woods, at home, in your happy place or just walking out to get the mail. This simple act begins the cleansing process. The clearing process. The emptying of the mind and body of unwanted negativity and stress, and replacing it with good, positive energies. A clean slate.

To meditate is not to ask for answers to questions but rather to think of nothing. To delete the minds trash that a single day has accumulated. Breathing is the first essential step to relaxing, not only the body but the mind as well. Notice your breath, notice how your chest heaves as you begin to breath deeply. Hold that breath in long enough to feel it swirl around inside you. Clear your mind. When you are ready to exhale, notice again how your body relaxes as you slowly let the air out. Notice how the muscles in your body respond to the relaxing effect of just...a...single...breath. Tension begins to leave and your mind becomes clearer as you continue to breath.

As thoughts enter your mind (and they most certainly will), acknowledge them and send them on their way. Do not let them linger or hamper your "cleaning". Always come back to your breath. Remembering in through the nose and out through the mouth. Feelings may soon emerge. Allow them to, fill yourself with them and then let them go. It is important to remember to be aware of your surroundings too. Especially if you are doing walking meditation and cleansing. Being outdoors allows us to ground ourselves with the earth, to move the negative energies into the ground for her to do as she will with them.

Use your sense of smell and touch as you relax. Be very mindful of everything around you. Live in this very moment, for it is the only moment that matters right now. Leave the past in the past and do not even think of the future. This, here, now, living and breathing for this moment should be your only thought. It is vital to be one with these moments. Live it, breath it in, let it attach itself to your very soul and hold on to it. Love it with reckless abandon. For with these peaceful moments, these times of solitude and calm comes a sense of accomplishment, a sense of being, of belonging.

Clear the clutter of your mind and body. Know that the miracle of life is you. With each breath life becomes better, YOU become better. Look around you and really see the beauty that is this world. The sights, the sounds, the smells are an intricate important part of this time. Understand that where you are right now, in this moment, is where you are meant to be. Celebrate the fact that all this is a part of you and you are a part of it. Let the frustration and sadness, the stress and anxiety, the worries and fears just leave your body. Feel fresh and new, rejuvenated and revitalized. Carry it with you in your deepest core and let it wash over you like a new day.

The phrase "Take a deep breath and count to 10" sets off a chain reaction in the mind and body that really does allow the relaxation process to begin. With that said, if you have read this far you might as well go all the way, close your eyes...take a deep breath...count to 10 and then, just breathe!

Much Love G.