We are in the season of impermanence. Amidst golden harvests, leaves begin to fall, darkness comes sooner, and with every breath we are reminded to release expectation; to cherish this moment with no knowledge of what the next moment will bring.
[As I wrote in my last newsletter (excerpt here), the Autumn season is related with breathing (especially our exhalations), letting go, and the emotion of grief.]
The breath is both our anchor and our vehicle through this life. When all is precarious, and everything uncertain, each inhale and exhale are our steady compass, providing grounding and centering at the same time as inspiration and transcendence. Inside the breath lives awareness of this moment, and also holds everything that has brought us to this moment, and also brings hope and possibility for what can come next. Inside the breath is both constancy and change. In troubled times and moments, even just one breath can provide solace and strength; in joyous ones a good deep breath can remind us to fully savor the moment. Breathing can rapidly change our whole physiology and also our mentality. Long exhales can reduce stress and anxiety sometimes instantaneously. So breathe, breathe in to every cell, the spaces between cells, breathe in your soul, breathe in your connection to all Life. Breathe out and release, let go; make way for spaciousness and nothingness, make way for all that is yet to come.
I mentioned in my last newsletter that in Chinese Medicine, the soul for the Lungs and element of Metal is the corporeal soul, the soul related to the body. Just as our breath navigates us through this life, so our bodies are our faithful friends and partners our whole life long. So often, we meet our bodies with impatience, frustration, fear, or even resentment. What would it look like to cultivate a friendlier relationship with our bodies? One that is more patient, trusting, loving, kind? One that is embracing, encouraging, hopeful, compassionate, forgiving, thankful, affectionate, understanding, appreciative? To find moments of awareness and wonder and delight and gratitude and ease in our bodies? What if- we also treat our whole selves this way? Because, actually- you may know this already!- we are not separate from our bodies, but wholly entwined...
I hope this note can inspire you to spend a moment (or several) breathing into your body today, and finding comfort and support in your own breath, your own body, and the knowledge that each of your cells and each breath is intricately intimately connected to the entire web of life, to stardust and ancestors and earth and water, to everyone who is breathing now and everyone who has ever breathed, and all beings. And may you be a good friend to your body, and to your whole being.