BoomerGirl.com

A friend of mine, one of the first of the boomers, has just taken early retirement and is contemplating what she wants to do with the rest of her life. She’s taken up yoga and loves it.

“I didn’t realize how stressed I was,” she shared. “I was so busy running around trying to get everything done and fitted into impossible schedules; I hardly had time to draw breath.”

I can relate. Can you? If my breathing apparatus wasn’t automatic I’d forget to switch it on.

How many of us are like that? We’ve taken multi-tasking to its zenith, try to pack too much into limited time frames, set impossible deadlines, and end up feeling pretty frazzled much of the time. It’s easy for me to get out of balance physically, emotionally and spiritually. After conversations with my newly retired friend, I decided to stand aside from my “busyness” and check the rhythm of my own breath. I didn’t have to listen too long, to hear its shallowness.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for “breath” is “ruach,” the same one used to describe the “spirit of God” in creative actions, or when God’s spirit enters, moves or inspires a human person. In the New Testament, the Greek word for “breath” is “pneuma” and it’s also used to denote the presence of the Holy Spirit (of God) in the early Christian community. Breathing is a sacred activity; it is God’s presence moving in and through us.

I had the privilege of being present when my mother took her final breaths after a lingering illness. I’d observed the dying process as a youngster in Donegal. The whole community, children included, would gather around the death-bed and recite prayers to encourage the soul on its way to eternity. My mother’s dying was different; she’d given me life. Her last breath, while expected and even prayed for (to release her from pain,) startled me. One moment she was in my arms, the next she was gone. Yes, I could still see her body, but her spirit had gone through the open window on the final part of its journey (In Irish tradition, the window in the death room is left open to let the soul travel unimpeded to its final destination.) The absence of my mother’s labored breathing, engulfed me in a sacred, comforting silence as I absorbed the shock of her transition. I stared at her body; mesmerized by the absence of her presence.

Breath isn’t just a symbol of life, it IS life. Without it, we’re simply a body. So why do I take it so much for granted?

I’m now attempting to develop “mini-meditation moments.” Before I start the car, for example, I let my posterior settle in the seat, and draw awareness to my body. I notice my breath and focus on its rhythm, its depth and where it’s resonating. Is it coming through my nostrils onto my upper lip? Is it pushing my chest or lower abdomen? I take five deeper breaths, and then breathe in the word “ruach” and breathe out the word “pneuma.” I’m experimenting with some variations. On the in-breath I’ll visualize the word “peace” and, on the out-breath, “release” for example. By giving myself time to breathe, I’m becoming more connected to God’s Spirit within me, and I think I’m getting a tad calmer too.

Many of you are already advanced practitioners of different breathing and meditation techniques, but these shorter sessions are working for me just now; I can fit them in several times a day.

What breathing techniques help you become calm, centered and connected to the Divine?

How do you create breathing spaces in your busy life?