The Breath is Spirit

In my early twenties I was experiencing a lot of "Dis ease". I was anxious and having a lot of panic attacks. I literally felt I was dying. It was then that I became a seeker. There was nothing more important for me than to find ways to feel better . I started eating right and staying away from certain routines. Still with these changes I kept falling back into moments of panic and despair. Until one day I had a conversation with a woman who asked me about my breathing. That changed everything! This doesn't mean I was "healed" or that my anxiety went away from one day to the next. It means I realized there was something about my breathing that made me feel a certain way. Up until that point I had never thought of my breath being anything important but when she asked, I knew right away that there was something there. I felt saved. I felt like my well being was in my control and that if I really wanted to do something about my well-being, I could. What a day! 

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Fast forward 15+ years I still continued with my anxiety and panic attacks. Depression coming and going. Here's what I didn't mention about the story that took place years earlier. I knew there was power in the breath. I just didn't know how to use it. I used to take big deep breaths through the chest and shoulders releasing these really big sighs thinking that was the proper way to breathe, in order to relax. Other times I slowed the breath while breathing in and out through the mouth. This was also not doing me much good.

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It was in 2023 when I got serious about my coaching that I decided to incorporate breathwork into my sessions. I took my learning about breathing serious and realized I had being doing it all "wrong". Interesting how the intentions for a better life, health, relationships could genuienly be there, but if we are not educating ourselves on the strategies and techniques on how to make this happen, we could be making things very complicated for ourselves. I honestly think that goes for 97% of the population. We all want to have the best experience possible. We all want to do our best and feel our best, and therefore receive the best. We just don't go through the process of seeking out the information to make it all happen. 

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So, now going back to the breath!

Your breathing patterns are an expression of your emotions. If you're stressed, anxious, nervous, afraid, chances are your breathing is going to act accordingly. Short, shallow, hurried... stressed. Your body doesn't know if you are stuck in traffic running late for an appointment or if you are on an Island in Hawaii. The body regulates itself according to your breathing. Thats why it is important to be careful when telling yourself to just relax and take a deep breath. It could be that that breath you just took was taken from the upper chest, or the mouth, or to too much air was exhausted too fast. It sounds complicated but once you find your flow, your "Go to" breathing techniques, you will be able to manage stressful situations much better. 

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