When I decided to make the theme for this month’s newsletter “It’s Getting Hot In Here…” I apparently knew what I was talking about. I am currently hiding inside as we are in an extreme heat warning here in Hamilton and looking out the window wistfully.
You see, I have temperature reactive asthma – so on days when the temperature soars (or plummets) I have to prioritize my ability to breathe. That sounds like a weird thing to say about something that comes as naturally as well… breathing… but when you have asthma (or any other lung related health concern) you learn to not take your ability to breathe for granted. The thing is, that is one of those lessons that slides right into my yoga practice like it was meant to be there all along.
If you get the chance to get to enough of my classes, at some point you will hear me talking about how amazing our breath really is. Our breath happens 24/7 – whether we are paying attention or not. We breathe, our lungs take the oxygen from that breath and give it to our blood stream. Our blood then sends the oxygen all through our bodies, and as it gets rid of the oxygen it collects carbon dioxide and then brings that up to our lungs so we can breathe it out!! Like seriously?? HOW COOL IS THAT?
So here our breath is, already working hard to care for our bodies, but it doesn’t stop there… our breath then steps up as a teacher for us too. How? Your breath can be one of your best friends when you are learning to strengthen your mind/body connection. Think about what happens to your breath when you are moving quickly, or doing something physically challenging. It gets quicker – it gets more challenging to breathe the more challenging the activity – and if you learn to watch your breath, it can teach you where today’s limits are… and it can show you when and where you can push those limits.
Or how about your breath as a mindfulness teacher? The simple practice (and it IS a practice) of noticing your breath in any given moment of your day can help you to be present. One of the very best practices I have learned was from Buddhist Monk and Teacher Thich Nhat Hanh – he taught the practice of speaking to yourself as you breathe the statements:
“Breathing in, I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.”
This practice, which seems so simple, can be so powerful to bring your mind into the present moment… and as you get more comfortable with the practice, it can expand throughout your life.
So yes, I am prioritizing my ability to breathe because of the heat.. But I guess what I am hoping you’ll take from my thoughts this month, is that we should all be prioritizing our ability to breathe… not just because it keeps us alive (though that is SERIOUSLY important), but because our breath is so much more than that.
Breathing deep,
Cara