“Trusting that there is enough air to breathe is an underlying sustainable process that goes on day after day without our conscious attention. Imagine for a moment that all aspects of your life carried this much trust.” Gaye Abbott from Give Us This Day Our Daily Breath
It is within the exhale that we trust there will be another inhale to follow, for if we did not we would never let go of the air that is nourishing us at this moment. We would cling on to it as if it is our last breath – our last chance at life.
The quality of your exhale then represents how much you do indeed trust your life. Holding-on to the exhale, or in other words holding-back from exhaling, mirrors areas of your life that could be immersed in conversations that hold doubt, fear, protection or contraction in your body.
Here, within the bodies sacred union of air and the process of breathing, is nested an opportunity to come into direct contact with what may be holding you back from taking that next active step, or fully expressing yourself.
Take some time to play with your exhale (yes PLAY!) by singing, chanting, laughing, or sounding on the exhale – perhaps with an extended “ahhhhhhh” sound, or the sound you make when traveling down a roller coaster with your hands up in the air!
This gives your body a thumbs up to reinstate the liquid relaxed flow of the exhale and to interrupt conversations in your body that create stagnation and potentiate contraction.
Use the breath to be aware of ways in which you are holding back on your own life ……and play with the freedom and trust that an unrestrained exhale provides.
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NATURAL PASSAGES CONSULTING
Inspiring New Possibilities, Living From the Soul of Life While Co-creating Well Being of Body, Being, Heart and Planet….One Breath At A Time
Soul Musings is a 31-day practice for the month of December immersed in deep listening to what is emerging and unfolding day by day. Eight sentences with occasional resources to explore more deeply.
Each post, invited by Soul, allows the words to emerge unscathed from prior planning, editing, or censorship. Dwelling in uncertainty and dipping a toe into mystery this union of words is an attempt to resonate within an innate way of Being…. returning “home”.
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Gaye Abbott – http://www.GayeAbbott.com
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love the photo and thoughts about exhaling-in Feldenkrais Method we work with breath. These are interesting points!
Thanks Becky…..the breath is the gateway to so much!