When we get a little break from the pressures of our life, we say it is like a breath of fresh air. When that happens, we may not have noticed how oppressive things had been feeling until the pressure lifts a bit and we notice that fresh air feeling. We can become so used to our regular way of being, of breathing stale air, polluted by stale thoughts, that we don’t even know where to find the fresh air.
Fortunately, fresh air is actually made of air. It is all around us and in us, ready to be refreshed with each breath. We don’t have to wait for circumstances to change to let us access a new perspective. We only have to notice that we are noticing, and we can remember to take a breath of fresh air.
To breathe in fresh air, unpolluted by thoughts, we have to stop polluting. We don’t have to notice that things are awful, or things are great in order to take a conscious breath. We don’t need to put any pressure on that breath. We don’t need that breath to fix us, or teach us, or inspire us, we only need it to hold our attention for a moment. Breathing with the awareness and sensation of our breath as the foremost thing on our mind, that is enough.
The breath doesn’t care if we notice it or not. It doesn’t mind if it is bringing in a little or a lot of oxygen. It is going to do its thing, keep us alive, whether we are happy or sad, angry or content, paying attention or not. We care though. We prefer to be happy and content, so we learn to invite that by putting aside our thinking for a minute and resting our attention on our breath.
Moods can move fast. Waking up happens in an instant. One piece of news, good or bad, can set us off the minute we hear it. A phone call, e-mail, or text can deliver a punch to the gut, or an opening of the heart that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. That is how quickly things can shift. In each moment, we can invite that heart opening shift into our lives. At any time, we can intentionally put down what we are thinking about, put our attention onto our breath, and float for a moment right where we are. We can see in that moment if we could use a breath of fresh air or not.
It turns out we can always use one. So take one. Take another. Feel that slight shift in consciousness. Let your heart open through whatever pressures are pressing on it. Take another breath and let it open some more. When you practice tapping into the heart opening power of fresh air, you will find plentiful opportunities for happiness and contentment. You will also become a breath of fresh air for others. There’s always plenty to share.
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