It’s All About Me … Remembering to Breathe
by LeeAnn Heinbaugh, MA

Life is busy. The hustle and bustle of daily life keeps most of us moving and doing much of the time. This is the nature of our modern world. Yet, it is also precisely what calls us, beckons us, screams to us sometimes to slow down and take some time. We are all well served to listen to this voice and take a step back, to relax and catch our breath.

Particularly as women we forget that life is ultimately about us. I refer to this as remembering that it is OK, actually necessary, to believe that there are times and ways in which life is all about me, and this is as it should be.

No matter what you do, who you are in the outer world, how many others you are “responsible for” in respect to family, work, community and so on, it is still all about you. You are the core, the temple, the tuning fork. You are your own unique and beautiful you beyond all roles and relationships that the outer world represents.

How do we go about bringing this into our daily lives? Simple. We begin by remembering to breathe. The particular practices and ways of doing this are endless. However, from a broad perspective it is about creating and living a spiritual practice.

I am a believer in the practical realms of spirit. To me, basics are the best, because they are livable. That said, let’s go back to the basics, the origins of spirit itself.

Did you know that the word spirit, by Latin origin, means breath? This is both beautiful and basic. From this we can say that spirit and spiritual practice, at their core, are about how we breathe and are breathed into the world. Breath and spirit are the very essence of the connection we share with ourselves, our bodies, and all things. Breathing is interesting, too, because it happens instinctively as well as through experiences of daily living. The same is true of our spiritual practice.

In the modern world we often simply forget to breathe. We hold our breath all the time. We know most directly through tension, anxiety, pain, health issues and so on. The simple act of taking a big deep breath and beginning to breathe deeply naturally helps to relax, release and reconnect us. It is a spiritual practice in and of itself.

So, we can say that our modern world is one in which we often struggle with the very essence of who we are – we are challenged to breathe and be of spirit. It requires us to be aware and intentional. Our daily environment and the actions of it are all contrary in many ways to the nature of spirit and spiritual practice. This is why we hold our breath.

I offer that someone living on the land, taking time to connect inwardly, and being open and in flow with life does not hold their breath. If you are relaxed and really present walking on the beach, sitting at the waters edge, seeing a sunset or smelling the spring flowers bloom, you are not holding your breath. And if you are, there is probably a serious need to do some inner work!

Spiritual practice is not actually about doctrine, discipline, or a “right” way of doing things. Rather, it is about what supports us in our relationship to our own spirit, to the very nature of living and breathing who we are. It is about the experience and what it gifts us. So, whether you are inspired, nurtured or curious about nature, yoga, ritual, mediation, breathe work, healthy food, animals, workshops, retreats, massage or whatever else, it is in creating and living your own spiritual practice that life again comes from and becomes “all about you.”

This is a poignant metaphor for how we see and hold ourselves in the process of daily living. It also gives us insight as to how simply we can begin the act, the very basic ritual of bringing spirit back into ourselves and into life. Take time, be aware, and gift yourself spaces and ways in which life is not about everything that is going on around you. Take the time to have it be “all about you” and in this, if you do nothing else, BREATHE.

LeeAnn works internationally as a consultant, teacher and guide with individuals and groups. For more information visit www.journeysinliving.com