Is For Breathe

Take a deep breath.  Fill your belly.  If you can’t feel your stomach expand then you have to lie back down in bed.  On your back you can’t help but fill your diaphragm.

Hold it. Hold it for maybe 3 or 4 “Mississippi’s.”             Let it out slowly.

Repeat.           Breathe in and fill that belly.         Hold it.           Let it out slowly.

Now you are allowed to get out of bed, or move from the couch, office chair, or room.

My chest and belly can get so tight sometimes that there are moments where I catch myself actually holding my breath!  Let the air flow through you today, hold on to none of it in a nervous anxious way.

When you breathe like this you are giving yourself a moment of power in a world where so many things leave you feeling powerless!  Controlling your breath in a world, or day, or moment when you feel nothing is under control can grant you a peaceful moment.  Permit yourself that peaceful powerful moment.

As you move throughout your day natural transitions will occur: rising from the table/desk, heading off to a meeting, heading off to the bathroom, turning off the T.V. before heading to bed, preparing your child for a nap, preparing to take your child to the library, on and on and on.  Before you transition from one event to the next take a moment and breathe in and out two times while you pay attention to those two breaths.  I don’t ask that you clear your mind and try to not think, go ahead think about what it is you are transitioning to or from, but see if you can fill your belly two times before heading into the next thing.

If you miss a transition moment, so what? If you get in four deep breathing transitions today that is probably four more than yesterday, so Rock On!

Try saying this at your next transition: “I will take these breaths.  They are mine to enjoy.”

  A Is for Accept

Acceptance does not imply approval or even a slight happiness that IT IS.  It just IS.

For today as each thing unfolds accept that it is unfolding without judgment—good or bad, ugly or pretty, thick or thin, hot or cold, disaster or miracle, on and on. 

Whatever happens this one day—don’t give it a label.  The dog craps on the carpet?  It is simply a pile of poo on the floor that needs cleaning.  Clean, and move on.  It happened.  You can’t un-poop it.  Accepting that it happened does not imply you approve of your dog doing this, or that you are happy this happened, it has simply happened.  Breathe through it.

The car won’t start? Breathe through it.  Make a list: who do you need to call? The appointment you will miss? Someone to come give your battery a jump? A taxi service? Breathe.  Accept that at this instant the car isn’t going to start, don’t judge this as the worst event ever.  You will never really know.  A giant semi full of battery acid could be heading for a tragic accident involving your car at this very moment had the car started—maybe not.  You just don’t know maybe your stupid not working car just saved your life.

Flat tire?

Overslept?

Child home sick from school?

Toilet over flow?

Nothing lasts forever. No event will consume the rest of your living days.  For this 24 hour period if IT comes accept IT. 

Try saying this, “Today I will accept this event as it is.  If it needs a plan to resolve it I will make that plan or find someone to help me make the plan.  This is my day.” 

The A to Z Blogging Challenge begins on April 1!  Today is the grand Theme Reveal. 

I have chosen my theme for April and it will be 26 Days to Practice Peace.  It is my hope for each of you that as the days build and perhaps you follow the ideas for the days you begin to feel a bit lighter, smile more often, and handle the various crap that comes your way with more grace and ease.  Yes, I know I used crap and grace in the same sentence.

Since I have to write one each day and it has to follow an alphabetic order I can pretty much guarantee that they will be under 500 words.  Perhaps I should make that my goal and see if I can make my point within 500 words.  I want each of you to return for the next day so I don’t want to bore you! 

I know that I need to practice peace, expect miracles, love myself more, and trust that everything is exactly as it should be in this exact moment, so I will be using my 26 days to help myself and hopefully extend a large dose of love your way as well.  Please enjoy and let me know every now and then how I’m doing with a small comment.

Sending you each a big ‘ol hug and lots of love

Conlee