Breathe!

The more things change the more they stay the same... Naw, that ain't it. More like everything I ever needed to know I learned in kindergarten.  Today, I think I have to give some credit to the exercising industry, let me explain.

I have a tape that I try to do at least 4 times a week. In one part of the work out she says, "Don't forget to breath! Breathing is so important." At first I thought, Well duh! No breathing = death. It's not that she thinks we will forget how to breath, it's that when we workout sometimes we hold our breath, which I guess can also = death. 

It's important to breath correctly. I find that when I don't pay attention to my breathing when I'm running, I will get a side ache. When you start a move you breath in at the beginning and exhale at the end. It's the same with your spiritual life.

I guess I had forgotten that...

Sometimes we get so wrapped up with being in the 8th grade we forget the important things we learned in kindergarten. Or so wrapped up with being spiritual that we forget how important breathing is.

I invite you to breath with me. To pay attention to your breath as you inhale and exhale, for 5 minutes. My Spiritual Director reminded me of this today so I felt that maybe you might need to hear it too.    

Multitasking!!

Are you a multitasker? You know, able to do more than one thing at a time? I'm going to bet that if your a woman, not only did you say yes, but you are also proud of it! Am I right? I thought so. You know how I know this? That's right, I am a recovering multitasker too.

I'm going to give you a little food for thought and if it resonate's hold on to it, if not, let it fall away.

Multitasking is one of the great enemies of presence. To be present is to be in the here and now. Multitasking is about doing, not being. Think about it, how many times have you talked to someone who is looking right into your eyes and you can tell they are nowhere near you? How many times have you been that person?

The deal is, we need to stop it! How on earth are we to ever hear from God when we aren't really listening? When we sit there and inside our heads we are making lists of things that need done, doing laundry, living in the past, hoping in the future... Really? You think you can hear God speak through all that? 

So how do we go about being in the here and now? One way is to pay attention to your breath. Brenner says to attend to your breath, meaning to be fully present to your breath. To help you do this, get comfortable and when your ready, close your eyes. This cuts out visual distractions. Then, insert ear plugs or cover your ears. Now, notice your breath - don't try and change it, just attend to it as fully as you can. Be present to it. Listen to the sound it makes and feel the movement in your chest as you draw each breath in and then release it. When you notice thoughts or any other thing that takes your attention, simply return to being to your breath. Don't resist thoughts, but don't hold on to them either. I like to see it like I'm standing in a stream and thoughts are like boats that come towards me. I see them, and let them pass.

Now this isn't the easiest thing in the world to do. I end up paying too much attention to the color of the boats as they pass and sometimes I just climb on board and off I go. When that happens, I take a deep breath, and attend to my breath again. With practice it becomes easier, and the presence you slide into becomes deeper and fuller. 

You become settled. You become balanced, centered, calm. Then when God whisper's in your ear, you are able to hear, and be in His presence in the present moment.

It's really all we have, this present moment. The past is gone, and there is no promise of a future here on earth. So be in the here and now. Stop grading yourself on the stuff you get done and start trying to let the Father of all creation un-do you so you can be-come into the present.