A few days ago, I was practicing yoga, tucked comfortably into a corner of my bedroom. Sunshine peeked in through the window. I listened to my body's signals about what kinds of poses it needed. It felt natural, easy and effortless. I noticed my breath was quite strong and very comforting. I was using ujjayi breath, the typical breath in yoga that creates a sound like ocean waves in the back of the throat. I let the sound of the breath become predominant in my mind. The whole experience was very relaxing and calming. The breath is what gave me an eye-opening and satisfying practice that day.
I continued to think about it yesterday, as my pastor talked about how Jesus breathed the holy spirit into the 12 disciples after the resurrection. This idea of the holy spirit taking the form of breath appeals to me. It gives me a helpful visual of the spirit constantly moving inside and around all of us, like the wind.
The renowned Buddist teacher Thích Nhất Hạnh said, “Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”
Conscious breathing helps us relax and strengthen the body-mind connection. In yoga teacher training, we learned several types of breath exercises, or pranayama. I sometimes teach ujjayi breath in my classes to help students feel more balanced, centered and calm. I have less success trying to get my two young boys to do deep breathing when they feel very angry or frustrated. Hopefully the practice will catch on with repetition.
Thích Nhất Hạnh said, “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
I continued to think about it yesterday, as my pastor talked about how Jesus breathed the holy spirit into the 12 disciples after the resurrection. This idea of the holy spirit taking the form of breath appeals to me. It gives me a helpful visual of the spirit constantly moving inside and around all of us, like the wind.
The renowned Buddist teacher Thích Nhất Hạnh said, “Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”
Conscious breathing helps us relax and strengthen the body-mind connection. In yoga teacher training, we learned several types of breath exercises, or pranayama. I sometimes teach ujjayi breath in my classes to help students feel more balanced, centered and calm. I have less success trying to get my two young boys to do deep breathing when they feel very angry or frustrated. Hopefully the practice will catch on with repetition.
Thích Nhất Hạnh said, “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”