As many books, podcasts, and videos as there are on breathing, there are equally as many different methods. Between Pranayama, a formal yoga exercise of breath control, and Wim Hof’s forceful breathing technique, there are practices for everyone. The idea is to choose one that works for you and make it part of your personal routine.
Breathing is something we do all the time, without thought. What if we attached our awareness to our breathing? That awareness is where our power lies. We can focus our breath on positive thoughts or breathe into the parts of our body that need it. We can do this throughout the day, whenever we find ourselves mindful. The key is to develop a practice focused on our breath, which is our innate power of awareness.
The greatest gift we can give ourselves is our awareness, being mindful of ourself in time and space. Our breath is a simple way of doing that. Breath work is the single most powerful tool we have as human beings, yet we are blissfully uninvolved most of the time.
This holiday season give yourself the gift of mindful breathing. Dedicating twenty minutes a day to any mindful breathing technique will help you develop your practice. Whether you’re breathing mindfully while folding laundry or following a guided breathing meditation, the idea is to just do it.
2 thoughts on “The Gift of Breathing”