Summary: As a fan and avid practitioner of meditation, I talk a lot about the benefits of getting still, being grounded, and bringing our energy into the present. This week, I've decided to share a simple 5-minute practice each day to help keep you centered in the midst of busy-ness as usual. I've lovingly dubbed this series The Daily Meds, and if you're new to the meditation, you'll be surprised how easy it is to call up your inner calm once you put your mind to it. Today's practice, which is included in the audio, is all about breathing. Breathing is probably our most easily overlooked function, yet we can't afford to be without it. We can skip food, water, shelter, and sleep for a lot longer than we can go without air. When you look at it like that, what's more present than the breath? Ever notice how stressful situations cause our breathing to go shallow and ragged? When we're feeling fearful, it's as though we simply can't get enough air. How about that wide-open breath-of-fresh-air that always seems to ride in on good news, relief, and renewal? And maybe you've experienced the heaviness of grief and how it parks itself in the chest, bubbling up in long sighs, and getting hung up in huffing, and puffing? The breath takes on all kinds of qualities according to how we feel. Tuning in to it--and staying with it--are great ways to not only identify what's happening inside us, but breathing consciously can also lower our blood pressure, open the heart, elevate our mood, stimulate circulation, promote healing, and connect us to our deepest wisdom. Want to get yourself grounded and stay that way? Try this practice and let me know how you do. Above all else, keep breathing, honey, and carry on.
