Breathing – A Portal into the Present Moment

The majority of people on Earth rarely appreciate or make use of one of the simplest things in life –  the bodily process for oxygenating and sustaining the life in every cell of their body. Though this biological process (although far more than that in reality) seems so deceptively simple, it is one of the most powerful tools for healing, relaxation, bridging the gap and connecting the mind and body,  as well as coming in contact with the deep sense of peace, well-being and joy that comes with clearing your mind and abiding in the now. Thus acting as a portal into the ever present Now, a portal into the present moment.

The power of breathing can at times seem almost magical, but you need to practice it consciously to feel its power and realize its potential.

Take a few moments to look away from the computer and take a few deep, long breaths.

First and foremost, it’s important that you’re breathing correctly – from the stomach/diaphragm area, rather than from the chest, which is how most people breathe.

When you breathe in, your stomach area (where your diaphragm is located) should contract and move inwards, while your chest should expand. When you breathe out, your chest and diaphragm should relax, both returning back to their normal positions (the chest contracting back in, whist the stomach/diaphragm are moving back out).

After you start breathing correctly, start taking long, slow, deep breaths while relaxing the muscles in your body as best you can. Imagine breathing into every part of your body and feeling that area fully with the in-breath, then relaxing and letting go of all the tension with the exhale.

As you do this, slowly become aware of your mental (thoughts, pictures, sounds…), emotional (feelings…) and physical state (bodily sensations…).

Becoming conscious of them, try to maintain a non-resisting attitude towards them, allowing them to be as they are, accepting them without judgment. In time (sometimes immediately, sometimes it may take a while, trying to rush the process will only create resistance and prolong it), they will subside and pass through you, and all that will remain will be the breath and with it, the naked, pure present moment, bringing you a sense peace, well-being and joy – these may be very subtle at first, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t feel blissful right away, but with continued practice, they will deepen and become more pronounced.

Breathing deeply and relaxing, sometimes a deeper problem will arise that may be unwilling to dissolve and seemingly stuck in your consciousness. In this case it is advisable to look deeper into the problem and attempt to understand it.

Ask yourself a simple question that will elicit a deeper insight into your issue, something like “What is actually bothering me?”, or anything similar that may work for you. As you bring the problem/the pain to light it will start to unravel and you will be able to let it go once you make it fully conscious and thus understand its purpose. Perhaps you will see that the emotional pain that was bothering you was a call for a certain kind of action, or perhaps simply a call to change your thinking or beliefs, maybe in order to react to certain things differently, more consciously. Whatever the lesson behind the pain is, once you bring it to light and thus integrate it into your awareness, you will know it, you will realize it.

Breathing is a very powerful tool to bring one to the present moment, to heal inner turmoil, to connect the body and mind, as well as to clear inner emotional and mental baggage and come to a deeper understanding of yourself.
Use it often and use it well.

Much love 🙂