Finding the Rhythm in Your Breath

Copyright 2006 Marshall House

Focusing on your breath can be a truly empowering experience. You may have a tendency to discount the power of noticing and using the rhythm of your breath because your breath is so much a part of you. It might just seem too simple.

Ordinarily, of course, your breath works in the automatic mode. Thank goodness for that! If your breathing needed your constant attention, you would not have time for other adventures.

As an intentional practice, for short periods of time, giving your full attention to your breathing can be a very powerful, brief meditation. A "short period of time" might be measured:

* By numbers of breaths, for example, three in-breaths and three out-breaths;

* In minutes, for example, one minute or two or three; or

* By the time viewed through or measured by an event, for example, sitting at a traffic stop light.

Choose whatever measurement you want, and then practice focused, intentional breathing many times throughout the day. This practice will keep you balanced, filled with extra oxygen to help you to maintain greater stamina.

One interesting dynamic to notice is the actual shift between automatic and intentional breathing, in other words, notice the movement or transition from automatic (unconscious) breathing to intentional (conscious) breathing and vice versa.

In addition, notice that your breath becomes different when you are giving your full attention to it. I have read that humans use different muscles when breathing in these two different ways. Perhaps that is true. My own personal opinion is that you use the same muscles, but you use them differently in these two modes. I consider that this is similar to the difference between using your gluteus maximus muscles to walk down a hill as compared to walking up a hill.

Another dynamic to pay attention to is the pace or rhythm of your breath. There are many aspects of the breath that you can give your attention to. The rhythm of the breath is only one. It is one I particularly like because it has a discernible resonance. Examples of other dynamics are texture, sound, depth, length, evenness. I like to help people to find the rhythm of their breath because it helps them to attune to other rhythms and movement in their lives. For example, they might notice a particular breathing pattern that is replicated in other situations. After making the association, they change the rhythm in the breath, usually rather easily, and then they notice that changes in the other situations follow naturally.

I notice this correlation frequently with my clients. Of course, discerning such connections does require the ability to read subtle energies. Usually, after I have identified and articulated the correlation to my clients, they relate to the idea. The key is to make changes in the least invasive, most natural ways. Here are two specific examples:

Deidra was having trouble communicating with her boss, characterized by interrupting each other and half-stated ideas. I noticed in her breathing the same pattern of hesitation and shortness, as if she rarely completed either the in-breath or the out-breath. I suggested some exercises that helped her to be more aware of the rhythm of her breathing, which helped significantly, along with some other strategies, to manage herself more effectively with respect to her boss.

Tom had great difficulty when we had to stand in front of a group to speak. He felt unbalanced and had less acute thinking. This, by the way, is a very common dynamic as many people find stand-up presentations stressful. I decided to start with the easiest strategy: some simple breathing exercises to neutralize the old pattern and establish a new rhythm. He practiced daily, and especially before each presentation. The difficulty ceased immediately.

Sometimes the simplest strategies are the most powerful. So, remember to breathe! And, even more specifically, remember to find the rhythm in your breath.

Charisma, Love and Health

This is an amazing story. It's about my friend Robert. Robert is one of those really charismatic people. You know the kind I mean. Wherever he goes, people are just drawn to him, its truly a sight to behold.

At dinner the other night, Robert's charm drew the waiters in and they conversed with him a great deal. However, when I spoke up, the waiters didn't seem to pay much attention. They may have even been a little dismissive. It was as if the only person at the table was Robert. The difference was Robert's charisma. He has that special way about him that we all sometimes wished we had.

Anyway, in order to find out what that special something was, I decided to interview Robert. I captured about 2 hours worth of questions and answers with him.

Here is what I found out. Robert basically, though he might not say this directly, 'loves' people when he talks to them.

He has genuine concern and positive regard. He likes to focus in on one thing that he finds especially interesting about a person when he talks to them. It doesn't matter if he tells the person what that thing is or not, it seems to have the same effect. Try it and see what happens.

Now, how does that relate to health? Well you see, my article on the mind-body connection discusses the principle that Bernie Siegel wrote about in his book, Love, Medicine and Miracles. It seems that when his cancer patients revolutionized their thinking to become more loving and accepting of others, their cancer often went into remission.

You see, what Robert does with people, is love them when he talks to them. Keep in mind that love is an action, it is not an idea that sits there, it is active. Bernie's cancer patients loved those around them more and as a result their health improved.

Now do you see the connection between charisma, love and health? By loving others, not only can your health improve, but your social life improves as well.

So what are you waiting for? Start looking for ways to love others more and watch your life improve in every aspect. This could be the most important thing you'll read today. Why not share it with a friend?

This article is for information purposes only. If you have or think you have a health problem, visit your doctor for diagnoses and treatment.