Just Breathe!

Lately, there comes a point in almost every day when I need to remind myself to take deep breath, in through the nose and out through the mouth. I remember watching an old cartoon where the character would say, "in goes the good air, out goes the bad air."

When training in the pool, swimmers are often exposed to "hypoxic" swimming, where you move through the water without taking a breath, or limit your breathing to once or twice a length. I remember quite distinctly the moments of imbalance. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.

Later during lifeguard training we learned about the role of carbon dioxide in triggering breathing and how, if one took multiple deep breaths before attempting to swim 50 yards underwater, sometimes one would get dizzy and almost pass out.

The breath is something that defines our birth, proves we are alive, and ceases when we die. The unconscious flow of air in and out of the lungs sustains our living. Perhaps that is why many people include deep, cleansing breaths in their daily routines.

Breathing makes all the difference. A reminder to "just breathe" goes a long way to reduce stressful thoughts and increase an appreciation of the moment.

So until next time, keep breathing, and

Bee Rich