The Power of Breathing

Eternity lies between each breath. An unfocused mind is busy measuring the self against all things that the mind can conceive. We hold faults in our stars and nothing can live up to our own expectations, let alone those of the people around us. We allow so many other people’s opinions to matter. We build up this world of anxiety that at some point, when the mind loses total focus, overwhelms us and drowns us under the weight of failure.

But there’s always a tomorrow. A new day always today, until the day there is no tomorrow.

Many of us choose to let fate choose that final day – but others feel that they have to take that matter into their own hands – and then there are those who are alchemists in their own right, who transform their pain and anxiety and depression into disease. And then they let the disease take over and consume them. Some of us what to be martyrs.

Everything is based around Power. The power of the Heart, the power of the Breath, the power of our Thoughts and Beliefs… When the paradigm is skewed and perverted by wrong-think we can see the fruits of that thinking – sadness, pain, suffering, sickness, fear and anxiety. The obsessive mind build-up and tears down the events, the feelings, the emotions of that thing it is obsessing over and we allow it to consume us… And then we are lost to it – it becomes the leader and we become the passenger. We don’t have control – in this moment we have abandoned the idea of Personal Power and Accountability and allowed the phantoms of our mind to call the shots. And some people can’t recover fast enough to find solid ground. They simply float away in their obsession and then fade away – like a helium balloon lost to the heavenly winds.

This is a willful action. We don’t always see it that way – many people lack the self-control and wherewithal to see what is happening around them – and they are at the nucleus of that thing. The wild mind can be tamed. And it is the willful act that brings the mind to heel. We have to say, we are taking a moment to recapture our breath.

Breathing, correct breathing – conscientious breathing brings a calming effect, silences and soothes the mind and reduces our heart rate and blood pressure. The longer we can maintain that state, the longer the mind is able to repair the trauma. But we are addicted to listening to the scattered thoughts of our mind. Discipline is required. Focus is required. Dedication is required. This is the core of Mindfulness. Mindfulness is a by-product of Discernment. Discernment is the result of Personal-Power. Personal Power is the life goal of all people, often unrealized and unfulfilled.

To regain control of the chaos, learn to breathe properly. Observe your breathing patterns and be present in that moment. Make it a priority in your life, in that moment that this is where you are going and set no time-limit. If you only need 5 minutes, take 5 minutes. If you need longer, take longer. This is the core of Mental Health. But it is also the pathway to physical and emotional health. Professional Athletes learn how to breathe properly, ascetic monks also learn to breath properly. Breathing is the key to all things inward and outward concerning the human person; mind, body and soul.

So take a moment and take a breath. And when you’ve taken that breath, take another and then another – and continue until you feel a calmness wash over you.