Open Cage

It is unfortunate that most of us don’t have a clue how a good deep breath actually feels. Blame poor posture, stress and increasing lack of awareness for the negative drama played out in our bodies.

After awhile, you brain accepts and records your constricted breathing and poor posture as the norm. Once a brain-map is in place, the body will return to that path of least resistance unless you make a conscious effort to do otherwise. The Open Cage is a chance to get some easy oxygen, to stretch out your spine, to fan open your ribs and to re-map your brain as to ideal posture and efficient breathing.

1. Lie on your back across a bed with your knees bent down over the edge of the mattress. Let your lower legs and feet dangle toward the floor (about hip-distance apart). Hold one wrist with the opposite hand (elbows bent). Your hands will be a few inches above the top of your head with your palms facing the ceiling. If they don’t drop down easily on the bed, prop them up with a pillow.

2. Breathe slowly and deeply without any attempt to manipulate your breathing. Just be aware. Notice how much more air you are taking in when your ribs aren’t scrunched down against your delicate lungs.

3. When you finish, roll over slowly onto your side and push yourself up with your arms and hands.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Mindful Breathing. What’s In It For Me?

Why should you, an experienced breather, invest your limited time in the study of CONSCIOUS breathing techniques? The movement of your breath, thus far, seems to have been as dependable, as mindless, as the arc of the sun and the flow of the tides. Why get involved in a system that doesn’t appear to demand immediate attention?

Mother Nature (in one of her generous brilliant moves) gave our species two different methods of breathing. The first is AUTOMATIC. The breath comes and goes without involving the conscious mind at all. AUTOMATIC gear functions quite well except for those times when we interfere with the design by doing something incredibly stupid like smoking.

The AUTOMATIC mode is like having a dependable little Honda Civic in your garage. It gets you from point A to point B with fairly good gas mileage and a fairly predictable ride.

The second option is CONSCIOUS practiced breathing that can be compared to a Lamborghini sitting right there next to your little Civic. You can drive through life quite nicely, running all your errands in the little Civic that is designed to last forever and require very little effort on your part. You may never unlock the Lamborghini (most people don’t) but you will be missing out on power, insight, serenity and wisdom.

Don’t worry. If you want to stay with the Civic, we will work on making the AUTOMATIC mode healthier and more interesting as well. Your choice. Your garage.

Be well. Breathe beautifully.

Kiss Shy Goodbye. Well, Almost.

Someone said that shyness is the result of focusing too much attention on oneself. The trick is to break the old cycle of nervous anticipation and response. Remember that your breathing is your guardian angel and is ALWAYS there for you.

IN ADVANCE OF SHY-TIME, DROP YOUR BREATHING INTO YOUR LOWER LUNGS AND SLOW IT DOWN.

Decide ahead of time that you will hold onto that breathing speed and placement NO MATTER WHAT. Nothing to lose here! You can always return to palm sweating pulse-pounding misery if the breathing focus doesn’t work. No matter how awkward things may get, never once lose your focus on your breathing.

You (yes, you) have the capability of bringing light, laughter, joy and serenity to any space or any group. You may be shy because somewhere, sometime a long time ago, someone accidentally or intentionally convinced you otherwise. Perhaps the focus could shift to what positive energy you can BRING to a space, what joy can you BRING to a group.

Imagine that you are an artist and that you will focus on “artist” things like how many red ties are there in the room, who has the nicest smile, who has the saddest face. Or imagine that you are a reporter and that you need to come away with at least one good story. Of course, don’t TELL people you are an artist (unless you actually are).

Be well. Breathe beautifully.