Respiration, Breath and Four

Respiration, Breath and Four

No distractions.

Slow breath.

Clear path.

One way forward.

There are teachings from virtually every wisdom tradition in

the world that emphasize the importance of Breath.

With Breath, all things are possible.

Let’s apply that to four aspects of our human-ness and look at it

from breathing and a 4 Agreements* perspective.

Physical ~ Take nothing personally

Emotional ~ Make no assumptions

Mental ~ Be impeccable with your word

Spiritual ~ Always do your best

Our miraculous Physical bodies work in synchrony to keep the

symphony of our bodies rhythmic, healthy and thriving. Each of

us has trillions of cells working diligently in unison every second

of every day, programmed by Nature herself to move and flow in

perfect balance according to a primal plan, orchestrated by the

respiratory system. The lungs are 85% responsible for pH

balance in the body; the kidneys are first responders to messages

received and make up the other 15%. Homeostasis, or pH

balance is the ability to maintain a physiology stable equilibrium

in the body. Stability - what we all crave in this current

disjointed world, distracting us a mile a minute as we navigate

our lives. Safety. What feels more safe than a full (abdominal)

slow, comfortable, nasal (in and out) Breath? Nothing!

Breath Is All There Is

Start paying attention to your breath, become familiar with this

precious physical body your spirit has been given. Intimacy leads

to understanding which is needed for change.

Notice three norms:

Do I feel my belly expand outward as I inhale?

Am I able to comfortably breathe in and out through my nose

for long periods of time?

Does my breath rest a bit after I exhale?

If you answered No to any of these questions, then respiratory

guidance would be a great thing to take in if you indeed want to

thrive in your physical well-being, or overcome any physical

challenges. Life happens, trauma touches us all, it’s not always

about you, don’t take it personally.

Begin with the Box Breath exercise:

Inhale ~ count 4

Hold ~ count 4

Exhale ~ count 4

Hold ~ count 4

For four (or multiples of: 8,12, 16, 20) full cycles in and out

through the nose, and then rest.

Emotional ~ Make no assumptions

Our Emotional realm, located approximately in the area of

our navel, aka Hara or lower Dantien, is also the area in the

body where life force originates, where male sperm and

female ovaries are located. Grounding, or centering focuses

on this area of the body, where we may find the silent, still

inner voice which is our emotional guidance system. If we

listen to it we will find every answer to every question that

we may ever have. Cultivate the pause after your exhale, quiet

your breath, and wait. You Will get a response, be patient.

Get your assumptions out of the way regarding conversations

of what you think he or she may have intended; or news

reports of situations that imply certain origins; or some

visual oddity where you immediately jump to a conclusion.

Stop thinking you know it all and make no assumptions.

Mental ~ Be impeccable with your word

Thoughts are the beginning of manifestation, to create the

reality that you desire to inhabit. The Mental realm gives us

insight, knowledge and understanding; the way we use

words impacts all that we do in a powerful, measurable way.

How we speak about ourselves or others, be it personal or

situational, reflects our belief systems. There is a subtle yet

powerful difference between, “I am an asthmatic” and “I have

asthma (a condition other than myself) that I must contend

with”. Stop owning your faults (I am horrible at…) or

emphasizing other’s (You are the worst…). Be kinder and

reflect on your words before splurting. Instead, speak of what

you are good at, or need more practice in. Use the pause

after the exhale that you are cultivating to become less

reactive (sympathetic dominance, fight/flight/freeze) and

more responsive (parasympathetic dominance, rest/restore/

relax). Contemplate before responding and remain

impeccable with your word.

Spiritual ~ Always do your best

Aaahhh, Breath as Spirit. Spiritus, the Latin word for breath.

It has been thought of as our soul, our source of courage and

vigor amongst millions of interpretations of the word all over

the world. When we become habituated to breath awareness,

listening, being patient, as the answers within are not always

immediately available, while building trust within ourselves,

we gain awareness of what is right and feels so in our core,

grounded, emotional place. When we use truth, kindness,

consideration, compassion in all of our own decision making,

then we are doing our best. Given any amount of

information we might have (very possibly considered false by

others) then that is the best we can do. Live in that place as

you take daily action in your one precious life, and make it a

great one.

* Borrowed from the 4 Toltec Agreements as point of reference as

they have been and continue to be some of the strongest and most

effective guiding principles of my life.

Dorisse 7.31.20