Take A Breath

I can feel myself boiling hot when I’m watching unjust situations unfold. I also have noticed that my daughter, when she’s past a certain threshold of rage, it takes a lot for her to calm down. There were so many times as a tween and teen that I bottled up my rage so much that I felt my insides imploding. It felt like my heart was going to explode and tears would burn as they would roll down my cheeks and I’d want to scream but I never did. I wrote but what I didn’t do was calm down effectively. I simply would bury the emotion and move forward like nothing had happened. Now that I am aware of how feelings need to be processed, I am hyper aware of how I’m supporting my daughter work through her feelings of rage and anger.

I make sure she’s absolutely clear that the feelings she’s experiencing are absolutely valid. I tell her to feel her rage and pay attention to how her body feels when she’s angry. Once we acknowledge and accept the feelings, it becomes time to release. The sound of the universe is ohm and we practice saying ohms until she is calm and her breath, heart and mind can connect so she can recalibrate her feelings and thoughts. It’s not an easy nor fool proof plan because mindfulness is hard as fuck sometimes when you’re fuming. I have a difficult time reeling in my emotions sometimes, so imagine a 7 year old? Sometimes I’m the cause of her frustration so that is a dynamic that can be tricky if my presence or words are triggering her. This is why a daily practice of ohms is necessary for both her and I because sometimes in this world the things and people that normally bring you joy can be annoying and that sometimes could affect your ability to calm down.

On most mornings I practice a daily breathing and meditation exercise. I have grown very accustomed to taking moments to be silent and to deep breathe. On my yoga mat is where I’m most present to my breath and it helps me go deeply into my asanas. The act of bringing my breath to the forefront of my mind is helpful because it is grounding. I’m not really doing or thinking about anything else in those moments because I feel such calm and euphoria when I can be present to myself. Being able to breathe is literally my life line. It’s all of our life line and I find often when I’m out of alignment, I’m not breathing properly. I’m taking short, jagged and unfocused breath. Uncool. Sunday is a day for calm, but most days are like Sundays for me. I enjoy the calm and quiet of my mind when it’s empty and only my breath can be felt. This saves me, heals me and calms me down. Deep breathing is my life force and I can’t live my life without it.

Take a breath.