One Breath
In... out.... the breath of life moving through us every moment of every day. In the bustle of daily life, we often choose to place our attention on what we are doing, perhaps simply getting through. How much attention do you dedicate to your breath?
Breath is something that is easy to speak of, yet it's true meaning is so much deeper than we realize. Breathe is not just the air that moves through our lungs, but the very life that we live. There is a spiritual breath, a breath of life, which animates us and moves through every cell of our body.
Take a minute today to tune into this life force — can you feel it? Can you feel the how miraculous it is that we are alive? Billions of cells coordinating their actions at this very moment so you can read these words, all the while we breathe, without even having to think about it.
I spend most of my day completely unaware of this miracle. Lost in thought, work, planning, or countless other pursuits of the mind, this simple fact eludes me. But when I am able to remember, everything shifts. I'm no longer surviving, just getting through. Suddenly I'm thriving — grateful, alive, and aware.
A small practice that helps me remember my breath and find gratitude:
Stop what you're doing and find a safe, private space for just a moment. Take both palms and place them over your eyes, cupping them and blocking out the light. Breathe three conscious, glorious breaths. They can be deep, or simply normal breaths. Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Slowly remove your hands from your eyes and look around. Look up, down, left, and right. Do you notice a shift your state of being? Do you notice anything new about your environment? Can you find a sense of gratitude for your body, and your life?
May we carry this awareness with us each and every moment, for it is truly a miracle that we are walking on this Earth together.
Much love and light to all of you.
Hakim