What If Your Transformation Is In Your Next Breath?

Hi, this is Dan - a six-time cancer survivor turned growth performance life coach. 

I don't say that often, but I did today. I'm saying it because today we’re talking about one of the elements that I'm very dear to, which is the element of air that refers to our respiratory system. Not only how we breathe, but how our cells breathe as well. So just take that to heart. 

And what I want you to know - the breath is very easy. And I think that's the most difficult part for people because most of them come to me or go to someone else with a complex issue, and if you give them something simple, they're like wait a minute. It's more complicated than that!  I need something complicated to match my complication. No, if you're thinking about playing with the opposites, if you have a complicated issue - something simple is probably the answer.

Breath Leads You To Spirit

So when you take your aspect of self - your awareness - to the breath and how you're breathing it, then you come directly in contact with your spiritual essence, because you're in the present moment. You're in contact with your awareness to the degree that you’re fully aware of your breathing in that moment. And you're going to allow yourself to just observe the breath. That's all you need to do.

In fact, you'll find that it's probably really difficult, because you’ll want to change your breathing. You’ll probably want to do something to it that you think you can add to speed the healing process up quicker. That's for another day. But for right now, I just want to offer everybody an opportunity for a couple of breaths.

Let’s Breathe Together

Just close your eyes and become aware that you're breathing. Notice the breath. Look for the breath. Where does it come from? 

Then, I want you to ask yourself on the exhale - where does the breath go? Follow the breath all the way until you can't find it. Then, on the next inhale you want to say - where did it come from? On the exhale - where does it go? On the inhale - where did it come from? And then, you can open your eyes and come back to the conversation. 

That's the simplest exercise. Where does the breath come from? Where does it go - and just follow it, try not to do anything to it. But it brings up another valid point.

Breath Isn’t Breathing

There's two things: the breath and breathing the breath, and they are two vastly different things. The breath Is what comes to us after we are born. The umbilical cord stops pulsing, turns white, you cut it, boom - the baby starts to breathe on its own. What's happened is the umbilical cord from the mother now severed in the breath is the new umbilical cord to that child's real self and true self, and to its source of life. And so the parent wants to think about teaching the child to use his breath in situations that warrant him to self-regulate. Because now, he has something on board for the rest of his life that he can apply any time. 

And it's interesting that the breath is the only automatic part of the autonomic nervous system. That's automatic when you sleep and stuff like that, but we can consciously take control of it too, become observant of it and change it whenever we feel like. It’s wild. It’s not a phenomenon in some ways because the yogis have always told us that if you can breathe, you can actually transform your life by bringing awareness to how you breathe the breath.

Your Breath is Your Mirror

So the second part of that equation is breathing the breath. And breathing the breath demonstrates or mirrors what's actually happening inside of you, what’s your mood, what's your attitude, what’s your physical self like. Are you feeling like you're stuck in life? Well, maybe you have inhibited breathing patterns. Are you flowing? Is your breath flowing? Maybe in that moment, you're feeling like you're flowing and everything's in alignment.

Don’t Overcomplicate It

So I want people to understand - don’t complicate breathing. It's out there - and everyone's a breathing teacher now and they all have their spin and the whole thing and they have to give you a catharsis effect because they have to justify their pay and their position in life. You know, I get it. There's a time and place for all that. It's not saying anything is good or bad. I'm just saying simplify it first. Master the simplicity of breath work and you're going to go to a lot more places in my opinion. 

So let's do it one more time. Let's just take another couple more breaths. Remember to breathe in, just be aware. And the exhale - where does the breath go? Just follow it with your awareness. It's very luxurious.

Key Takeaways

1. When you’re relaxed, you heal. Healing occurs only when you're in the present moment and relaxed. Although others may question this, I believe that when you're relaxed, that's when healing can take place.

2.  Anyone who breathes can transform their life. Anyone who has the ability to breathe can in that moment transform their life. The breath is the umbilical cord to your true self, your unseen self. So it's wise to have a relationship with that if you understand that self-love is absolute love. The breath is one of the major tools to help you keep your body tuned up and your soul tuned in.

3. Conscious breathing helps you become more present. Conscious breathing brings you into the present moment faster than most things. I would say cold water does too, but breath can also do it.

4.  Conscious breathing can change your mood. It's a two-way street. So if you're feeling agitation or anger, you can use your breathing to change that mood or attitude. It works the other way around too - you can actually be hyperventilating, but can slow the breathing down to change that whole situation.