Your Breath - Personal Practice

I recently read that if you breath with intention for 109 breaths each day that you will reach enlightenment.  

I can't remember where I read this, or if it was from a creditable source, but I did try the technique once.

I tried it while doing something I thought would be relaxing, but I kept getting distracted.

Which is leading me to be more thoughtful about my breath.

I've been noticing how easily distracted I can get and how my breath changes.  

When my breath is shallow and stressed I ask myself why.  Then I focus on breathing through the issue at hand.

When my breath is steady and even, I take it for granted.

The bottom line is that I do not have consistency with my breath.

I find my mind races with all the things I want to do and should do and my breath matches my thoughts.

I know how important the breath is.  It is a key element to my yoga practice on the mat.  Without a steady breath I lack balance and focus during yoga practice.  

If I breath too fast I get anxious and agitated and I tend to be all over my mat.  

The longer and more steady the breath during yoga practice, the happier and more balanced I am.

Wow!  Shouldn't that translate to every minute of my life?  

How can I retain what I learn and be happy and balanced if I can not consciously breath at all times?

The self observation of my breath this week has made me realize I really need to breath, and I need to breath deep consciously!

So maybe it's best I sit in a quite place by myself and start with 50 breaths and work my way up to 109 breaths.

Wish me luck!  

Your Breath - Yoga Lesson

Most of us never think about the breath.

It's subconscious.  It operates without instruction.

What if you added an instruction manual to your life with regard to breath?

After all, when you are relaxed or stressed you can feel a difference in your breath.

The breath tells your body how to react.

Breath is the master.

Think about when you let out a heavy sigh, it can feel so good!

Or, think about when you stretch from head to toe in the morning and you fill your body with breath as you stretch.  That feels great too!

The amazing thing about letting our breath remain subconscious is that it allows many other thoughts and feelings to remain in our subconscious.  Then our body stores those thoughts in feelings in the body, and often in peculiar places.

We notice those tight hips or shoulders and then wonder why they are tight.

Why not start a practice of turning your breath into a conscious action?

See what freedoms in your life you may find.

Breath consciously.

Control - Personal Practice

I'm such a planner!  Each day I get up with a plan of how the day is going to go for the most part, with an allowance for a few exceptions.  If I'm lucky there may be some pleasant surprises too!

Then I start to get into my head about how I need to practice being in the moment.  Let go of all these plans!  

Reminding myself that all l I have is this moment.

It's a lot of practice, but little by little I'm getting better at being here.  Being here, right now.

With the practice of being in the moment I've started to notice a very dominant trait of mine.  

Control!

I feel great when I have a plan and feel in control!

I've also noticed that when a plan falls through I get very agitated and sometimes very upset.  

Loss of control can ruin an experience, a day, or a week for me.  

The irritating thing about this realization is that it all points back to my ego.  My ego thinks the world revolves around me.  My ego let's fear take a tight grip and it drives me to protect myself.

The interesting thing about this experience is the realization these feelings are only coming from me.  No one chooses my reactions.  I choose them.  

I choose to let my ego instill this fear when I loose control.  

I let my ego at times justify bad behavior because I lost control.

I am the one who allows negative and harmful thoughts to lead me when the ego is bruised.

It's funny how you think you have made so much progress when you start to notice yourself.  How you think that you've come forward in leaps and bounds in your journey because you see yourself as you are.

What I'm finding is that the doors are starting to open, I can see light at the end of the tunnel.  However, I still have many thresholds to pass till I get to the end.  Each door will not fully open and allow me to cross the threshold until I understand the lesson I'm learning fully.

And darn it all!  I can't force it!  I can't control it!

I have to relax and let it go once I've recognized the lesson.  I have to practice and continue to practice until it becomes second nature to me.

There is no control.

Control - Yoga Lesson

Control can be comforting, and it can also be harmful.

It's comforting when things are going our way.  Things are operating as they should or people are behaving as they should.

It can shatter our perceptions, ideals, or plans too.  Something broke unexpectedly or someone didn't do something they said they would.

In reality, do any of us ever really have "control"?

Or is it choice that we have?

If we choose to react with a positive attitude toward any situation and let go of control, it may bring more happiness to our lives.

Where in your life do you perceive control issues?  

Can you practice letting go of control?

Pick something to let go of and see what happens.

Let it go.

I Did It! - Personal Practice

Ah.  Vacation.  It's a wonderful thing!

Most of us think of vacation as a time to get away from it all, relax, and recharge.  To forget our regular daily activities and do something out of the norm.

I just got back from a three week road trip.  Now, that is out of the norm for me!

I thought I would have all this time to think and be lazy.  Wow was I mistaken!

From the time we were out the door it was go, go, go!  One place to the next, so it all could be seen and experienced.

I found myself after the first week thinking "what have I learned this week".  I learned I'm not in control as much as I would like to think I am.  But, I do always have choice.  And some nights I choose to sleep in a motel instead of a tent!

In the second week I learned that I can complain, but no one likes a complainer!  It's best to keep a positive attitude and enjoy the experience.  Even if you are dirty and tired. 

The best lesson came in week three in which I learned that I could be someone who says I'll do that someday maybe or I could do it!  I was challenged to step out of my comfort zone and now I can say "I Did It!"

What did I do?  

I Backpacked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and out!  I hiked to the top of this "Very Scary" trail in Zion National Park called Angels Landing!  

Both, quite an accomplishment for someone who used to be extremely afraid of heights.  

I'm not ashamed to say that I've patted myself on the back for these accomplishments and held my arms high in the air and screamed "I Did It!"

At the end of vacation, I will not lie, I was happy to get home and have access to running water and a flushing toilet 24x7.  I don't think I'll ever stop liking these luxuries.  

But, if I were faced with another adventure I'd do it in a heartbeat!  Even without the comforts of my own bathroom.

I Did It! - Yoga Lesson

How many opportunities do you let pass you by?

When you reflect back do you think about some things you may have been too afraid to do, but wished you had?

Talking about doing something someday, or waiting till you have time, is what most of us do.

Why not change that?

Why not take one of those things that are a "To Do" and make it an "I Did It!"

We all have something to do.  Something in the back of our minds that we want to accomplish.

Do it!  Make it an "I Did It!" in your life!

When you start by making one thing happen for yourself, you'll get addicted!  There will be no stopping you!  You will make all the things you want for your life happen!

Choose one.  Then watch your success blossom.

Start your collection of "I Did It's!" today.

Do it!