How well do you know your breath?

10 Dec How well do you know your breath?

Your breath is your best friend.

As adults how much do we over complicate our lives?

In my children?s meditation practice last Sunday I brought to the children?s attention their breath. I explained how our breath is a special gift to us and that we should nurture it and get to know it like our best friend. I asked why they thought the breath was so important? The children said without it we would die.

We looked at how to look after the breath by watching it closely with our mind by allowing the breath to enter the body gently in and out of the nose.

They understood the changing quality of the breath and how the breath changed rhythm and intensity through out the day. They also noticed through exercises and asanas in the class how their breath pattern changed their energy level, mood and heart rate.

I explained yes the breath is like our thermometer for wellbeing. It reflected our emotional, physical and spiritual self like a mirror of well being on a wall. When we are angry, happy, panicky stressed our breath becomes irregular and out of sight. When we are running or physically exerting ourselves in the gym or sprinting for the bus we gasp for breath as our breath becomes fast. When we are resting or relaxed our breath is relaxed and calm.

If we study the nature of our breath we can understand and regulate our state of mind.
The breath is within our control it links the physical, mental and spiritual self. If we bring our awareness to our breath we can change our state of being just by connecting again to the breath.

The children said they would spend time to get to know their breath like they spend time getting to know their best friend.