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breath
November 2009 
Breathe
Posted on Jul 6th, 2009
by 
tinkonthebrink
tinkonthebrink
This is in Response to the Questions and Reflections for July 06, 2009:
Michael Jackson just recently stopped doing it. Farrah Fawcett, too, and of course a lot of other people who aren't quite so famous. Breathing is a temporary occupation for us all.
I used to work in labor and delivery and put on fetal monitors and check where the baby was in the belly with an ultrasound machine and what you're always looking for is that heartbeat. The heartbeat is already happening but it isn't until you're born and in the world that you get that first breath, the in-breath, and then you keep doing it as long as you can, breathing in and breathing out.
I also used to work in oncology, and that weird term for a person who has died, that they've expired - as if their shelf-life has ended, and I suppose it has - really is very literal. The last breath is the out-breath. We breath out and then we don't breath in again and then it's done.
There is a Tibetan breathing practice where you're supposed to focus on the out-breath, because in part the in-breath will take care of itself but we don't always remember to fully exhale. Sometimes when I do it I find it makes me cough, which I assume means a really full exhalation is a little bit of a shock to my lungs. I suppose this is common to many people or there would be no practice for it...
I am determined to keep breathing in again for as long as possible but I do think a surprising amount of life force and energy comes from that cleansing, opening breathing out and that it deserves much more attention. Another interesting little tidbit from the Tibetan school of thought is that in meditation, the first breath that begins a mantra or a counting of breaths is the outbreath. It seems counter-intuitive at first but then becomes clearly the perfect way of experiencing it. Life enhancing.
Breathing. It's fun. Just do it.
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Jeannie,in between your breaths you have done so much,please write a book so I can read you for hours.
Hmmm, I think the same thing about you.
thanks for the tidbits about breathing.
Tink, I love your Nike exhortation to just do it – breathe! It's funny how much of an impact reminders to concentrate and take joy in the simple things have on us. Because we so often forget how simple life can be if we only put our attention on it. I've been focusing on, talking about, reading about the beauty and joy of the present moment quite a lot lately. Obviously it's the lesson I need to learn. Breathing is a fundamental part of that practice. Just do it, baby!
I read this the other day from my phone when I wasn't near a computer and I can't comment on gaia from my phone, so finally I'm commenting. this post has been floating around in my head for awhile now and I think it was with me all day yesterday and I think I might've enjoyed breathing even more than usual because of it. so thanks for the extra enjoyment I got from breathing yesterday. what a lovely gift. :-)
xoxo
~d
Have to agree with everyone else, this post really made me stop for a few days…and breathe! Thanks for posting it.