Breathe,
Breathe in the air.
Don’t be afraid to care.

Pink Floyd

Just one breath

During half term I took part in an online retreat on 'how to live a good human life'. It explored a range of themes from developing clarity and awareness, cultivating compassion and living a values led life of integrity and many more. I was guided in my practice by some of my most valued mindfulness meditation teachers and I loved it. I wasn’t to make all the sessions so purchased unlimited access to the talks and guided practices. As a result I was gifted one free bundle to send to a friend.

So - special offer coming up - the first person who emails me saying 'yes please' with their email address, will receive this bundle as a gift from me.

In this newsletter I have decided to share one of the first talks of the retreat by Jon Kabat - Zinn, who invited me to tune into life by attending to the breath. As a result this simple breath practice has been my go -to morning meditation since the retreat ended.

I have offered it in a couple of my coaching sessions over this week and each time it has helped leaders find calm, feel more centred and grounded and more able to handle the ups and downs of life and leadership with a greater degree of perspective.

As one said 'it's magical. Who would have thought the breath, which after all is always here, could have such an impact'.

James Nestor tells us we breathe in and out around 25,000 times a day, and every breath has an impact on our anxiety levels, blood pressure, and heart rate.

So why not use some of our 25,000 daily breaths to keep us to tune up, keep us sane and allow us a moment to re-balance as we go about our lives? 

Let's see what Jon Kabat Zinn has to say about the power of this simple practice.

How Mindfulness can help.

In his talk Jon Kabat Zinn explored how we can live well and become better human beings by cultivating awareness through placing our attention on the breath.

This is what he said:

 'The mystery of awareness itself, is in this breath coming in and this breath going out.  When I take my seat in the morning (to meditate), I take an act of sanity to actually take some moments from the domain of doing and drop into being of non-doing for some period of time. And then among the challenges and stresses and suffering that we experience, it just allows us to pause for a moment. So taking my seat like this in the morning is a radical act of love because it embodies a kind of trust, a worthy trusting in the intrinsic wisdom and compassion that flow out of any moment.  So this practice of sitting formally, is absolutely essential. I always give the example of symphony orchestras. They all tune their instruments every single time. And they're playing great music, but every time they still tune the instrument. And so that's where the taking of one’s seat is a profound recognition of the need and possibility to tune.'

So even though you undoubtedly play great music every day, how often do you intentionally 'tune up' your instrument of awareness. Why not reap the benefit of this rich instrument, which you carry with you daily - to 'tune up', so we are more able to 'tune in' to every moment of every day fully here, fully alive - with presence.

Here's how;

 I've picked two breath practices that are my 'go to', at the start or end of the day and ones I return to during the day whenever I feel scattered, overwhelmed or driven by my tumbling thoughts. I invite you to explore them, find one that feels right for you and commit to practice it at a regular time daily for a couple of weeks and see what difference it makes to you.

 Don't be put off. Of course your mind will wonder - that's what happens. Each time it does then remember, ‘in every breath I can begin again’, and move your attention gently and kindly back to the breath. Over and over again.

Attend to your breath to bring calm and clarity

The breath has a lovely rhythm - it simply happens, over and over again.
We can place our attention on these cycles of breath by simply noting for say 2/3 minutes each time:

IN on the in breath OUT on out breath -  noticing all the sensations that go with 'I'm breathing in, I'm breathing out'
RISING on the in breath FALLING on the outbreath - noticing the rise and fall of the belly, the ribs, the shoulders as you breath in and out
CALM on the in breath EASE on the outbreath - taking a slightly longer out breath on the word 'ease' and dropping the shoulders
HERE on the in breath NOW on the outbreath - being aware of the whole body here, now, still and being nourished by the breath

Attend to your breath to cultivate a pause in which to settle

Take a few intentional, deep in and out breaths;
Once the breath has settled into a steady rhythm bring your attention to the small pause between the out breath and the in breath;
Perhaps visualise a small cushion in that space of stillness, where you can simply sit for a micro moment. Say to yourself ‘nothing to do, nowhere to go’, until the next in-breath comes around.

Oh how easy it is to forget!

These practices might sound easy to do but it’s remembering to do them that’s hard! Why not find a regular time in each day where intentional breath practice becomes a habit?

• Before getting out of the car in the morning – sit, breathe, note your intentions for the day, and experience a moment of calm. Then enter the building;

• Before switching the car on at the end of the day – sit, breathe, create a pause, let go

• Get to assembly a few minutes earlier and stand, breathe, become still embodying calm as the children arrive;

• Take five minutes before the class are due to arrive or the meeting is due to start and resist the impulse to complete another quick task. Instead stand or sit and breathe. Allow your body and mind to settle. Then greet the children, or your colleagues as they arrive.