By: Gabriela Yareliz
We’ve all had moments of anxiety, panic and/or pain. Sometimes, it can feel like walls are closing in on us. Or maybe, it feels like a knife is stabbing us in the pelvis. At times, we can leave a present circumstance and reset (best case scenario). There have been times where I should have walked away or gone home, some instances where I did, and other instances where I simply couldn’t, but you know what saved me when I was stuck in my circumstance/environment? Breathing.
Breath can come in clutch when circumstances or our body assails us. Hilariously, we often think of learning to breathe in association with pregnant women— breathing is key for men and women (and for women, wayyy before childbearing).
I was stuck in train delays when I decided to go to my favorite podcast to calm the impatience— Theo Von’s This Past Weekend.
The episode I went to was a great interview with James Nestor, and I knew I had heard him before. When I looked in my Kindle library, I saw I had bought the book (but hadn’t read it yet). This usually means I had heard him on another podcast before. I started reading it this weekend.
I am about to be 2/3 of the way through. I recommend it to anyone who has sleep apnea, snoring issues, allergies, a mouth that is too small, crooked teeth, high blood pressure, fatigue and anyone who is a parent. One thing that has really sunk in is that teaching children how to properly breathe can, not only improve their appearance, but can avoid braces and all kinds of health issues and infections later in life. It’s pretty wild research.
I think that something that has helped me be more mindful of my breathing and has served as training is mouth tape. I am excited to keep learning about breath.
One of the things that struck me the most were the “monks who could melt circles in the snow around their bare bodies over a period of several hours” just by breathing a certain way. I read Wim Hof’s books a few years back, and how he trains breath is impressive. It’s a mysterious art worth exploring. It deeply impacts our wellbeing in every sense.
I am always learning. I know that some of the first times I explored breath were through low-impact movement like Pilates and Yoga. And even before that, I know I ignorantly used breath to manage how I experienced pain. Breath can change how pain is felt (as someone who experienced routine chronic pain, breath became a tool). Breath is a powerful thing, and I am sure I am only at the tip of the iceberg.
How are you breathing your way through life? Are you ready for allergy season? Are you sleeping optimally?
I leave you with a song from the celebrated A Walk to Remember soundtrack— a Switchfoot classic, Learning to Breathe.
GABRIELA YARELIZ 