I thought I’d bring you all along on the journey this week, just for fun!

The breath is magical, because it’s always there, bringing oxygen to the body, no matter what we’re doing.

We don’t have to be aware of it for it to continually work its magic, because it’s meant to steadily and continually keep us alive. However, the breath becomes even more magical when we do actually pay attention to it.

Try the following exercise:

Take a moment to pay attention to your breath. Right now, what is your breath doing? Is it moving freely? Are you holding your breath? Is it moving in your chest? Or is your low belly relaxed and the breath flowing there? Are you breathing quickly or slowly? Just notice. Then, simply notice the breath come into your body as you inhale and leave as you exhale, without altering anything on purpose.

As you do this simple check-in, you build your ability to be present, right now, in your body. Checking in with yourself three times a day to simply become aware of the breath (without purposefully altering it) will significantly change your daily life experience. You’ll begin to notice the world seeming brighter, the joy of living filling your body and mind, and the sudden relaxation of time concerns. (Truly, I haven’t felt rushed at all since starting this practice.)

The first step to unwinding unhealthy breath patterns is to observe the breath. This deceptively simple practice will allow your body to begin the process of returning to natural, unhampered breathing (the kind we did as babies.) As you observe, you’ll find that the body and mind naturally shift a breath pattern that isn’t serving you. For example, if I notice I’m holding my breath during a check-in, my body automatically takes a nice, deep diaphragmatic breath.

You will also have easier access to your emotions, since the breath is a very exact indication of your emotional experience in the moment. Holding your breath is a signal that you are suppressing something in this very moment. Quick inhales via your mouth that puff up your chest let you know you’re highly stressed or anxious about something right now, and you’re trying to avoid feeling the emotions under the stress. If the breath is moving fluidly in your low belly and diaphragm, you’re relaxed and emotionally aware in this moment.

As you can see, this is a pretty fabulous practice for developing the kind of emotional awareness necessary to heal TMS (aka Mind-Body Syndrome). It’s also the secret weapon of every enlightened yogi, so there’s that. (This seems like a fairly compelling reason to practice breath awareness!)

For me, this practice has deepened my emotional awareness, brought me even further into my daily practice of living in my body instead of my head, and opened up a deluge of creativity. I also feel more connected to my family members, because I am even more present now. I’m able to speak my truth more clearly and easily, because I know my truth more readily. Being present with my breath helps me know what I need in each moment.

I’ve expanded my practice from three times a day to as many times a day as I can remember to check in with my breath. It gets a little easier each day. I find myself paying attention to my breath while working, playing with my daughter, cooking, and conversing with friends. This is rapidly improving my ability to witness my own thinking, my emotions, my body, and my spirit from an observational place instead of a reactive place.

Imagine – all this, just from one simple breath practice. It’s the most basic practice, and it may be one you already know, or have heard of before and tried. However, it’s pretty easy to underestimate the power of this simple practice. I invite you to play along with me as I explore the depths of presence more and more each day. I’d love to hear what this simple practice does for you!