#9 Breathe

Once of the most important things to master in life in breathing. 

It sounds simple, but it's not. 

As a child you are slowly taught how to speak.  You make sounds and those sounds are celebrated.  You make small words and the people around you light up with joy.  You are slowly forming sentences and your parents take you around their work to show off your skills. 

No one teaches you how to breathe.  

You need to do it immediately and you need to figure it out fast. 

Sure, you can go to classes if you really want.  Yoga is amazing and powerful in this way.  But, if you're not so inclined, you don't have to.  

You can live your whole life not knowing how to breathe.  

Breathing is the most important thing you can do for yourself. 

Take a second now and practice. 

1. Close your eyes and imagine being on a warm beach 

2. Breathe in and while you do, imagine that you can smell salt water and suntan lotion (5 seconds)

3. Breathe out and while you do, imagine that you have warm sun on your skin (5 seconds) 

4. Breathe in and while you do, imagine that you can hear children playing (5 seconds)

5. Breathe out and while you do, imagine that all the tension is slowly leaving your shoulders (5 seconds)

6. Breathe in and while you do, imagine that all the tension is slowly melting off your back (5 seconds)

7. Breathe out and while you do, imagine that all the tension is slowly melting off your neck (5 seconds)

8. Breathe in and while you do, expand your stomach to make the biggest stomach possible (5 seconds) 

9. Hold this breath and give your stomach positive self talk 

10. Breathe out and while you do, let the breath sink slowly out of your belly (5 seconds) 

Tell me how it goes. 

Did you visualize a red ball anywhere there?