The Last Breath

Breathing is an indicator of whether we are alive or not.

We come into this world taking our first breath with somewhat of a struggle as we inhale this new substance called air.

Little do we know that it will determine the quality of our life and how long we shall live in this particular body.

Our heart nor brain can function for very long without the precious inhale and exhale that marks our every moment.

We somehow forget this as we hold on to our breath, half breathe shallowly, tighten and contract our bellies, or over breathe during moments of anxiety decreasing the quality of those very life moments that are so very precious.

Two hours ago I was at the bedside of a most beautiful 89-year woman who was on the other side of that first life filled breath that brings us into the world. During my year and a half as a volunteer for hospice this woman became a part of my heart.

It happened that my regular visiting time coincided with her taking her “last breath”. Surrounded by loving family Irene transitioned amidst loving stories and touch, laughter, permission to let go, and deep gratitude for being who she was.

This is not the first time I have witnessed a “last breath”, nor will it probably be my last. During those last minutes as the heart slowed the labored breathing became a simple soft sigh of release as life as she knew it slipped away.

Such a gentle letting go that it could have been missed if one looked away just for a moment.

Not all deaths are as peaceful as this one was. What a gift to have it so.

Our breath gives us life. We never know when the next inhale will be our last. In fact we experience a little “death” every time we exhale having to completely trust that there will be a next inhale.

As I gave Irene a final kiss, told her how much I loved her and left the family to say goodbye to her I took a full breath and in that moment realized this.

Every inhale and exhale is a milestone along our path. We only have so many of them before we too transition. If how we breathe is how we live our lives….how would you want to breathe?

There are choices.

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NATURAL PASSAGES CONSULTING

Inspiring New Possibilities, Living From the Heart of Life While Co-creating Well Being of Body, Being, Heart and Planet….One Breath At A Time

http://www.GayeAbbott.com

Gaye Abbott, RYT assists individuals to dissolve the layers that cover the natural innate blueprint we came in with and reveal, through a combination of the energy medicine of Jin Shin Jyutsu, yoga therapy and breath re-patterning, and as spiritual mentor/guide/coach, the larger purpose and co-creative expression that we are here for.

For those interested in receiving private sessions please contact Gaye at: JoyfulGaye@NaturalPassages.com. Travel to your location in the U.S. or globally is available as is Skype mentoring/coaching. Please inquire.

OTHER BLOGS BY GAYE ABBOTT:
www.WildlyFreeWoman.com
www.NaturalWealthJournal.com

Give Us This Day Our Daily Breath Preview, Reviews and purchase links can be found here:

http://gayeabbott.com/books/

Soul Musings/Day 31: Reflections on Listening to Soul

10599193_10205023948736333_513572188647808156_n — Gaye Abbott at A Healing Collective, Houston, TX

For those of you that may have been following these Soul Musings for the past 31 days I express my gratitude. In total there have been 93 posts including today’s which is rather unbelievable to me as I was ready to quit it all on Day 5!

True to form there will only be 8 sentences here (though the one following is indeed a very long one!) with the last two being specific to this particular blog. I have experienced many things as I have committed to this practice and among them have been the fickleness of the creative muse; the release in simply writing something and then letting it go; observing the critic that wanted to take main stage but whom I banished to the netherlands (where is that anyway?); the groundedness of a regular writing practice; at times the self-imposed pressure of hitting that “Publish” button every single day on 3 blogs; allowing for the polarity of “good writing” and “bad writing” to vanish from my vocabulary; that there would be “something to write about” every single day, but more, trusting that I would listen to what was coming through and simply act as the translator on behalf of full uncensored expression.

When I was urged from the depths of my Soul – from Source – to commit to this practice I was at first certain of it and then wanted to flee from the implications of it. The months of going without writing anything prior to this practice have now fled into oblivion (would love to know where that is too!) and I am washed clean of any hesitation to simply write from the deepest parts of my being.

So many spaces to breathe in from an embodied perspective. The bottom line is to remember that the air we breathe is what interconnects us to all that is alive……and how we breathe has a lasting effect on the quality of life we all share on this planet and beyond.

NAMASTE

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NATURAL PASSAGES CONSULTING

Inspiring New Possibilities, Living From the Heart of Life While Co-creating Well Being of Body, Being, Heart and Planet….One Breath At A Time

http://www.GayeAbbott.com

Gaye Abbott, RYT assists individuals to dissolve the layers that cover the natural innate blueprint we came in with and reveal, through a combination of the energy medicine of Jin Shin Jyutsu, yoga therapy and breath re-patterning, and as spiritual mentor/guide/coach, the larger purpose and co-creative expression that we are here for.

OTHER BLOGS BY GAYE ABBOTT:
www.WildlyFreeWoman.com
www.NaturalWealthJournal.com

Give Us This Day Our Daily Breath Preview, Reviews and purchase links can be found here:

http://gayeabbott.com/books/

Soul Musings/Day 27: Deliberate Breathing

By breathing on purpose you are allowing Source to inspire you.

Expanding and filling your cells with a vibration of thriving.

Focusing on one breath after another there is less likely to be resistance. The mind has nothing to complain about as attention moves with the breath.

Filling your lungs with the very best air you can give them.

Go to the ocean, open a window, sit under a tree, run through the meadow, commune with the river, rest in the garden.

Be a deliberate breather.

Allow your breath to be the foundation from which you take the best from life.

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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”.

To receive daily posts simply sign up for this blog and you will be notified through e-mail. In addition there will be daily posts on the blogs below. Thank you for being part of this practice with me!

Gaye Abbott – http://www.GayeAbbott.com

OTHER BLOGS:

WildlyFreeWoman

NaturalWealthJournal

Give Us This Day Our Daily Breath Preview, Reviews and purchase links can be found here:

http://gayeabbott.com/books/

Soul Musings/Day 16: The Pause

“We too should make ourselves empty, that the great Soul of the Universe may fill us with its breath”. Laurence Binyon

It is within the stillness and emptiness of the pause that all life unfolds. This is the space that is ripe with possibility uniquely structured for each body.

It is obvious to many that life in “civilized” culture distracts constantly and attempts to fill the spaces. We didn’t have this kind of “noise” for most of our human evolution, but instead had our intuition, instincts, senses, innate skills, memories of other seasons and times, nature….and our tribe of others to rely on.

Underneath, and beyond this civilized noise is a space to rest in. The space between the inhale and exhale.

Accepting this space by emptying out in those precious moments is the alchemy that brings us back to full breath. The great heart and Soul of our Being.

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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.

Gaye Abbott – http://www.GayeAbbott.com

OTHER BLOGS:

WildlyFreeWoman

NaturalWealthJournal

Give Us This Day Our Daily Breath Preview, Reviews and purchase links can be found here:

http://gayeabbott.com/books/

Soul Musings/Day 13: Trusting There Is Enough

“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.

Gaye Abbott – http://www.GayeAbbott.com

OTHER BLOGS:

WildlyFreeWoman

NaturalWealthJournal

Give Us This Day Our Daily Breath Preview, Reviews and purchase links can be found here:

http://gayeabbott.com/books/

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