Expanded Breathing Spaces – Page 7

The Path of Opening

Angel Oak Tree in Angel Oak Park, on Johns Island, Southern Carolina.

“The person who breathes deep and easy, who holds minimal tension in the shoulders, who lifts the heart and chest – she/he has a very different experience of life. The root of the word courage means heart. When we collapse the chest, we become easily dis-couraged, dis-heartened. When we fill our space and widen our chest, there is suddenly room for connection, purpose and passion. ” Victoria Castle in The Trance Of Scarcity – Hey Stop Holding Your Breath and Start Living Your Life, pg 64

Reading this passage from Victoria’s book this morning I was inspired to write this blog post and also made painfully aware of my own bodies tension and contraction. As I sat to meditate it became very clear that I was clenching my mouth and jaw for no particular reason. When checking with my breath it was contracted as well! This most likely represents many years of muscular armoring in perceived unsafe situations along the way.

The “story” that went along with this contraction spoke to me quite clearly – “Hold tight! You don’t know what is coming at you next!” What a terrible story to live by, yet I am willing to bet that many of us hold this type of story in our bodies and psyche – most often unconsciously. I know that when I live in contraction the tension keeps me disturbed, off balance and attending to what is wrong – or in Victoria’s words “holds us in the Trance of Scarcity”….. and I say perpetuates “struggle mode”.

The amazing tree above spoke to me of the OPEN way in which we are meant to be. This Angel Oak is wide open, spreading, begging to be connected with (as there are so many lovely branches to sit upon), and completely available to you, I or anyone/anything. She has learned surrender, openness, trust, and wisdom from her years of being present to the moment of nature. She is completely embodied in her tree elderhood.

We too can be in that flow by coming out of the daily creation of separation and into the natural state of belonging. When we are out of this flow our breath is shallow, or we stop breathing for periods of time; our shoulders are slumped; brows furrowed; tense necks; clenched jaws; and a collapsed chest. When we release these contractions and the stories that have created them, our world opens up and we naturally “belong” without any effort on our part.

So, I leave you with some identifying markers for the state of OPENNESS. Remember that this state comes with a full embodiment of sensation and breath. What we embody, we become!

OPEN is: (from The Trance of Scarcity)

Ease…Prevailing trust….relaxed body….effortless breathing….”can do” attitude….collaborative….curious, asking questions….see opportunities…..generous……willing to take risks…….laugh easily at self…….energized……fighting FOR (not against)…..resilient….grateful…..releasing things easily…..make clear requests and agreements…..generative, accountable……wholehearted – and coming from your wholeness.

When we each inhabit this place of openness it not only affects others, but inspires them to open as well! I extend my hand to each of you on this path of opening. Though the body memory may want to go back into a contracted survival mode – your willingness to be aware of sensation and breath will give you a choice. The way in which we breathe and embody is the way in which we live our lives. How do you want to live yours?? Create and live by a different story!!

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Breathing Room

These three things that matter can most often be found within another three states: Silence, Stillness and Spaciousness. How our ego puts up a fight against even dipping one single toe into a space large enough to hold a full inhale and exhale in this very moment.

Try this simple exercise and see what happens – stand with feet planted on the floor about a hip distance apart, arms at your side with palms facing forward. Watch as a full breath starts from the belly, expands the ribcage and back, then cascades like a waterfall on the exhale pausing in the pool of breath at the bottom. Take several breaths this way.

Now close your eyes and lean forward as far as you can without tipping over. Watch what happens to the breath. Now come back to center and root down. Watch what happens to the breath and be aware of all the micro-movements and adjustments the body must make in order to simply stand upright.

For most of us this simple exercise reflects what happens constantly all day long. We lean into the future and our breath is literally held as our mind takes us to the next thing on the agenda. There is no breathing room.

I experienced that today in a conscious exercise in yoga class. As we moved very slowly from one pose to the next the mind wanted to revolt, to run, to judge, to do anything but be quiet to the burning muscle or the reflex thought about tomorrow. Instead we were instructed to place our mind on gentleness within the silence, stillness and spaciousness that grew as each breath passed.

To gracefully let go of the ego’s urging to move out of the pose, run to the bathroom, or chant the mantra – this is too hard! Watch the breath, love the body, let go gracefully of what is not meant for you. How much more do we suffer if we don’t give enough breathing room to expand the moment that we are in right now?

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

How much of our breath is taken up with words of complaint or dissatisfaction? How often are we reacting to life creating our own suffering versus savoring each precious moment?

I ask myself these questions often as a reminder to wake up to the beauty and simple act of breathing. Breathing in the experiences that are present to each of us on a daily basis within each moment.

A few years ago now I remember taking a signed “Complaint Free Contract” into work and pinning it to the board above my computer. It created quite a stir with laughter and puzzlement by many of my co-workers. They shortly found out that I was dead serious in my intention, not only to be free of complaining, but also to be grateful for as many things as possible.

Slowly it affected those in close proximity to me and for a few weeks complaining went down by 75% or more. Smiles were seen more often and our patients benefited from a staff that seemed happier and more collaborative. But like anything it didn’t last and the complaining slowly crept back in again.

Our breath is precious, not only to keep us alive, but to bring our whole expression into the world. Complaining is indeed a waste of breath. It serves only to bond ourselves and others into a group victim consciousness with no resolution in sight.

The suggestions in the picture above are simple and we forget them often. I include myself in that. As our inhale and exhale moves us into the next moment of our lives we have a choice.

Let go of reaction first. Then breathe…. reflect instead before wasting one single breath on that first word of complaint. We only have a limited amount of breaths allotted to each of us during our lifetimes. Wouldn’t you rather spend your last breath (and many more before your last!) saying I love you?

TIP FROM THE UNIVERSE: If your breathing itself was not proof enough that you are loved beyond comprehension, then how about your freedom to feel unlimited joy, in spite of circumstances that surround you?

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WEBSITE: www.ResonanceWithLife.com

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://resonancewithlife.com/daily-breath-book/

Every Breath As A Prayer

Often we feel that a prayer comes in the form of something spoken out loud or within, on our knees, sitting in meditation, joining with others in a group, read or written – in other words an action we must consciously take. What if every breath we take is a simple prayer and a means to connect head with heart as proposed above?

What would you do with that practice? Defining prayer as each breath taken expands the sacredness of what it is to be alive!

If each breath is a prayer then…

We are constantly in prayer

We have an unlimited opportunity to love

Our every breath is a deep connection to something greater than ourselves

Each breath is a prayer of gratitude for the life we have been given

No moment is less or more important than another

We are constantly praying with every other life form that breathes and vibrates

There is no separation between ourselves and the sacredness of life

There is nothing we have to DO to pray or any belief system needed

Prayer is life breathing itself

There is a beginning prayer and an ending prayer within this one life

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Website: www.ResonanceWithLife.com

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://resonancewithlife.com/daily-breath-book/

Change Is Possibility

Gazing at the water drops on this leaf there is a sense of capturing an exquisite moment. Yet our experience tells us that in the next moment this will change as everything is always in motion. Riding the inevitable movement of change is what this life of ours is all about. What do we do with change – resist it, or choose to see and be open to possibility.

This past week during a class I was teaching on the breath at our local University here in Austin, Texas there was a moment that asked for a different awareness. Participants were paired up to practice opening breathing spaces with each other by simply laying hands on shoulders, backs and sides of body. At the end of the exercise the giver was to give a gentle shoulder massage and simply be present in the moment. Coming over to one pairing I saw and felt the possibility for a shift and believed that it was there to emerge.

Placing my hands lightly on the person’s mid-back and fingertips mid-chest I simply encouraged the breath to release. In that moment the person who was receiving was filled with breath as if she was being breathed. She became taller and expanded her breathing spaces to such an extent that it felt like a miracle to her. The amazed expression on her face was enough to validate that within change there is always possibility for yet something else to evolve if we are open.

The person responsible for the photo above, Dewitt Jones, says that we “won’t see it until we believe it”. That can be said for feeling it as well….a sixth sense if you will that something else is about to emerge that is even more extraordinary than what is presenting in the moment. Do we have the patience and the trust to simply wait and be directed from a deeper place than our minds. Do we have the wisdom to look at what is right with our lives, our relationships, our breath, our world.

It is always right there within the framework of change… Please take time to watch this 22 minute video by Dewitt Jones on celebrating what is right with the world and staying open to change. As we enter into the holiday season it may offer an entirely different perspective to live and be grateful from.

http://www.celebratewhatsright.com/film

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WEBSITE: www.ResonanceWithLife.com

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://resonancewithlife.com/daily-breath-book/

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