That breath you just took, did you notice it? Did you feel it? Did you notice that connection with that wondrous flow of energy that orchestrates our entire being? That feeling that we are here now, alive, and full of energy? It is truly amazing how this goes unnoticed, we become conditioned to the feeling of air moving air between our lungs and the outside environment. The miracle of the breath may be largely unnoticed but its effects are staggering. Think of the last time you had a nervous moment, perhaps it was a large exam, asking out a significant other, or confusion on an action to take, did you notice the energy in your heart? That there was a huge amount of energy stuck there as we hold out breath due to our anxiety. This blockage slowing our processing speed and allowing our confusion and anxiety to take over. Too many times this has happened, becoming overwhelmed by the emotional energy of ourselves which can cripple us.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, have you ever been confident of your studying of that exam, the feeling of pure joy and bliss with that significant other when conversation and your interactions are flowing, and or that confidence in that action your about to take? Did you notice that you did not feel that build-up of energy, instead you felt the energy flow through you, poring though every cell in your body, enabling each cell to work in unison towards your given directive. That moment when you are connected with another, your situation, or yourself and you are comfortable even if you are uncertain of the present or future. This life force can be utilized to help co-create more of these experiences. Too many times I see others struggle with themselves and their perceived weaknesses. This can cause a spectrum of reactions but too many times I notice myself or others falling into the two extremes: ignoring the emotional cause of the holding of breath or being overwhelmed and paralyzed by the sheer emotional energy built up. This leads to blockages building a stronger relationship with another, yourself, or your environment. What is there to fear? Rejection, pain, anger, jealousy, anxiety, all the attributes of the ego that shackle us to our lesser forms of self.
But what holds us back even further than these initial fears? The act of letting these fears dictate ourselves. The fears beating our Higher Selves through them preying on our emotional weaknesses. The weird thing is sometimes we are our own worst enemy when it comes to building ourselves, building others, or building better physical and emotional environments. Succumbing to the fear is crippling but it is the easy way out. It is easy to not change and stagnate. It takes energy, flow, and emotional fortitude to change our emotional states. Negative energy does not have to be a catalyst for negative well-being. Channeling negative energy in creative or physical benefits like art, writing, or working out can be extremely beneficial and negative energy can be huge catalysts of inspiration for this. We must not be consumed by these types of energies; we can allow them to flow and change but keeping a continuous flow of negative emotional energy will lead to nowhere.
When we truly start to learn to become Creators, we start to notice how we can affect our emotional energy. And the breath is the key to the whole equation. When we come across negative or stressful situations, we need to remember to breathe! It is amazing how much more clearly we think when we are not depriving our bodies with oxygen. Taking several moments out of the day to notice your breath will be beneficial when adding these 3 tips to your breathing.
- Breathe Deeply! Take a deep breath right now.... Now take a deep breath while pushing your stomach out on the inhale (Don't forget to flex!) On the exhale, flex your abs inward and upward, as if your were trying to pull your stomach through your throat. Repeat this for 5 minutes at least 3 times a day. This will increase the amount of oxygen your pulling into the deepest parts of your lungs as well as actively engage your whole body to strengthen your breathing muscles! If you could actively breathe like this throughout your day, you would notice huge changes to your energy levels as well as your emotional psyche.
Posture, Posture, Posture!! The location of your body parts are huge! Do you slump your shoulders, throw your pelvis to one side of your body, or sit with slack in your back! This is all taking away from how much your breath could be filling your body. When we dis-align ourselves, we are causing muscles to become imbalanced as well as conditioning the body to feel "comfortable" in positions that weaken the integrity of the whole. Slumping your shoulders forward, for example, overstretches your shoulder blades causing more lymph buildup to occur there. This will lead to back problems, as the shoulders stretch forward, this pulls on the whole back effectively straining the mid and lower back. So one anatomical position can weaken a whole group of muscles. To stand-up straight, push your shoulders comfortably back where they are even with your back, lift your chin and chest, and turn your thighs slightly inward to engage them. Do not turn your toes inward, just put more muscle in your inner thighs and feet. Then engage your stomach by "pushing your pelvis" in line with the rest of our body. We have a tendency to push out our butt and pelvis, this is due to leaning our bodies forward too much. Once you are in this correct positions, take deep breaths and notice the difference in your gait. You should be able to walk much faster as your body is using more muscles to actively breathe and walk.
Always be aware of your breath in emotional situations. Stressful situation can be quite uncomfortable but the double whammy is that stress causes our frontal lobe to be under-active, effectively leaving the decision to the more primitive parts of the brain such as the limbic system. Allowing our "flight-and-flight" brain to handle our vulnerable moments makes no sense but this is the conundrum that permeates through our culture. Our fears prey on this and use this to hold us back. I know it is hard, I really do, but changing this is a must. Even if your emotional, vulnerable situations do not work out in the best way, always remember that you are an amazing being that is full of love and compassion. You will have more opportunities to conquer fears, overwhelm anger, and laugh in the face of stress. One of the best ways is trying to react to a situation with positive emotions. Looking at the situation through another's point of view is also very powerful in regards to how different perceptions can lead to a different reality. A person that makes you feel uncomfortable may not even know that they are doing so, but responding negatively will only inhibit this relationship. It is hard to gain control of our emotional selves, they are very powerful, but control is necessary. The easiest way to do so is by noticing your breath. When your breath flows without blockages and is as deep as your lungs allow, you know that you are helping your emotional state.
