Taking Time to Breathe

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 Hello!

When I was thinking about patience this last week, I kept thinking about taking the time to breathe. Maybe because there's been a lot going on in my life. Things going along at such a rapid pace that I feel disoriented and desperately needing things to slow down so I can catch up and take in a breath.

The problem is that we live in a world where things are in a constant state of movement. We pride ourselves on filling our schedules to the max and then some. When people ask how we are doing or what we are doing, we often reply, "I'm busy" or something like, "my week is so full." 

I'm looking out at the main street of my small town right now and noting how busy it is. 
Earlier, I was talking with someone about how busy it is compared to even three years ago. Three years ago, it didn't start getting busy on the weekends until 11 in the morning, Today it was busy at 9 and according to him, it's been like this all year. What happened to the slow days of my childhood?

Nobody has time to breathe today. We run from one thing to the next until sickness or injury force us to slow down. It's not right, and it's not natural. Yet, if you were to slow life down, people would think something is wrong with you. People have no patience for the slow life.

So, what are we going to do about it?

During the month of August, I wrote about finding magic in the moment. In the post, I talked about setting a specific time to put away your phone and truly observe the world. I want to take this idea a step forward.

I've noticed a trend on Pinterest where people make lists of habits and their replacements. I really like the idea, and I want to try it. Maybe take the things that aren't really necessary in my day. The things that keep me unnecessarily busy and replacing them with things that help me breathe. (Here's a link to the simple list I made for myself on Google Docs. [Habits List] Just in case you need a start.)

One of the workout instructors I follow, (Jessica Valant ) consistently mentions this idea of creating space in your body. Jessica encourages you to stand tall and avoid collapsing during exercises to avoid muscle fatigue and injury. I think that this can be a sort of allegory for life.

Where can we create space in our bodies so that we don't collapse and injure ourselves? 

I assume we all want to live long, functional lives, so how can we make that happen? 
Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. 
How can we make this a daily part of our lives? 

The best habit changes start small. They're achievable. Start small and watch your life change for the better.

Until next time...

-Julia Garcia / Arysta Henry





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