Fluidity

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Barton Springs, Austin, Texas

Fluidity is our natural state of being.

With life’s “hits” we often become static, fixed and rigid, wrongly thinking that these states will protect us from whatever is “out to get us” in our day to day living.

Instead we can be knocked over quite easily and incur even greater trauma when in these non-fluid states.

The amount of water in the human body ranges from 50-75%. The average adult human body is 50-65% water, averaging around 57-60%. The percentage of water in infants is much higher, typically around 75-78% water, dropping to 65% by one year of age.

To add to that according to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, and even the bones are watery: 31%

We can’t ignore the fact that water makes up more of who we are than other elements and considering that we came from a watery home while inside of our mother it seems curious why we outright deny that we are in fact fluid and liquid in nature.

There is nothing more directly noticeable than the breath when we are not in a fluid state in our bodies, thoughts, emotions and how we express in the world.  Our breath is hung up in the upper most part of our chests, and secondary breathing muscles (in neck, shoulders and upper chest) compete to see who can become the most contracted in their efforts to breathe us.

When we are breathing effortlessly from our primary breathing muscles (diaphragm, intercostals between the ribs, and moving-waterabdomen)- or being breathed as I like to say –  our bodies feel supple, fluid and flexible and our expression in the world comes from a deeply relaxed place of trust and confidence.  Imagine a wave of breath washing through you.  There is no way to be fixed, contracted or rigid in that!

If you really want to feel liquid and fluid I would suggest swimming with dolphins in the wild.  This was a peak life experience I was privileged to have several years ago.  One can’t help but feel the sensuous nature of being free, playful and lovingly liquid as when swimming with these amazing creatures.  For moments in time you feel that you could breathe under water too!  Perhaps we all did at some time in our ancient past!

A FEW TIPS FOR EASEFUL FLUID BREATHING:

* Be aware when the breath becomes shallow and you feel tension in your neck, face, upper chest and shoulders. Take a breath break!

* Breathe with your primary breathing muscles: diaphragm, intercostals between the ribs, and abdominal muscles. (by the way holding tight in your abdominal muscles or wearing unforgiving tight clothing constricts the breath unnecessarily)

* Imagine a wave of breath moving through you and washing all of the tension away.

* Smile and laugh often and watch the fluidity come back into your being!

* Dance with abandon and move from all parts of your body.  Celebrate the body you have been given!

* Join with another and breathe together.  Watch as your breath eases and lets go as your rhythm comes into synchronization with theirs.  Surrender is the name of the game.

* Imagine yourself safely in a water environment floating and being completely held and supported.

*  Bring attention to your second chakra (right below the naval) and place your hands there with great love as you consciously breathe for a few minutes.  Watch your abdomen soften with the attention.

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*Commune with the Earth and frequent Nature often!

* Go swim with dolphins!

There is a way of breathing
That is a shame and a suffocation.
And there is another kind of breath,
A love breath,
Which opens you infinitely.

—Rumi

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The Breath Pause Between Ubuntu and Namaste

unityUbuntu does indeed feel like a Unity word!  Take a moment to feel it as your mouth creates the sounds that bring the word to life.  It is flowing, connected and literally feels like a way of life.  My body wants to dance with this word. Dancing to the sound of drums – the beat of our hearts – uniting us in every breath moment.  Taking it all in INHALE!

Nelson Mandela states that Ubuntu asks the question:  “Will you do something to engage the community around you to improve?”  As our global community becomes smaller and smaller in the sense of communication and interrelatedness this indeed is the question of our day.

What action can you take today in your own community – within you own being –  that will most certainly affect others beyond your geographical location merely by the respect, human kindness, caring, trust, unselfishness, love, and sharing that you are actively demonstrating?

Meeting each other in Ubuntu we may find that the most embodied response is Namaste.  Two hands at our hearts toNamaste_silk acknowledge all that we are, bowing to all that another is, whether that other be human, animal, plant or a vision that brings us closer together as a global community.

This gesture resonates with Ubuntu on a very deep and profound level.  It recognizes that the life force, the divinity, the Self or the God in me is the same in all.

It also reminds us of the deep interconnectedness between all life forms.  What is done to another all can feel.  What is said by one can be heard by all.  What one creates sparks creation by others.  What stillness is felt in one becomes the sacred in another.  And it goes on….EXHALE….

The breath pause between Ubuntu and Namaste is called collaboration.  A deep collective determination to co-create and realize a shared goal, vision or significant change in current systems or structures.

Namaste_smWe are at the crossroads in a time when we must take action to shift our consciousness from one of separation, judgement, misdirected power, war and blame to one of connectedness, sharing, co-creation, peace, understanding and love.

Already so many across the planet are breathing in from the place of Ubuntu and breathing out Namaste.  Will you be one of them?  INHALE/Ubuntu….PAUSE IN COLLABORATION….EXHALE/Namaste

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Non-Separation and the Breath

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A few years ago a story of the consciousness of interconnection unfolded right before my eyes.  This happened from a place of non-separation, or in other words a real sense of oneness between people and nature.  It is a simple story really – one of three men and a tree.

Two of the men were leaders within their Balinese community.  One man had cut down a tree without permission from his community village.  You see in Bali one must obtain the permission of the entire village before cutting down a tree.  The sense of interconnectedness with nature and among themselves pervades the Balinese culture.

These two leaders were discussing – with tears flowing down their faces – what kind of consequences the man who had cut down the tree must face.  He had apparently done this before, most likely for carving art pieces to sell, so the discussion was a serious one.  I never found out what they did decide, but I did get to sit with one of the leaders and share meditation and mutual discussion about cultures translated through his brother.  I thanked him for this beautiful living example of  deep awareness on how each interconnected being or life form intimately affects another.

How is it that we forget that we are not separate from anything or anyone when our  breath tells us that we are constantly intimately connected.  We share the very air we breathe with all living things.  My dear friend and lifelong mentor, Richard MillerMiller, Ph.D of iRest  (grounded and concrete tools to come back home to a place of non-separation and well being) spoke eloquently on non-separation at the Summer of Peace through The Shift Network recently.  He emphasized that the ultimate healing for all humans lies first in our sense of separation from ourselves and secondly the “other”, or the world outside of ourselves.

In a recent class I was privileged to facilitate – Decrease Anxiety, Indulge Inner Peace – I remember saying that I believe the core of anxiety comes from when we go away from or leave behind our deep purpose in life, which comes from our wholeness.  This results in feeling a sense of separation.  This very sense of separation activates anxiety.

Our strong innate imprinting to belong and to survive  as we grow up into adults often times takes us away from the very sense of already belonging/deep interconnection that is a gift we are given at birth.  This leave taking from our  feeling of harmony with ourselves and life itself brings us to “war” within and without.

Deep abiding inner peace and equanimity brings us home to the state of non-separation, or as Richard says “non-dual” state of being.  What better tool to resonate with than the breath to remind us over and over and over that we are an integral part of the whole and never separate.  Inhale connected to exhale sharing with an abundant circle of life in the moment.  When we resonate this peaceful place those around us will attune to the same state.

Be the change you wish to see in the world….come back home.

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The Path of Opening

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

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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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941546_10201139084457154_1085573193_nOTHER BLOGS BY GAYE ABBOTT:
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