Breath is Life

"Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment,
​I know this is the only moment." ~Thich Nhat Hanh

This week’s quote is a reminder to breathe. Imagine if there was only one moment. Instead of an entire lifetime, what if you were only given a single moment to experience existence? How you choose to breathe during that one moment is going to determine the quality of your experience. If you hold your breath, you will inevitably go into a panic. If you choose instead to breathe deeply and relax into the moment, you will eventually experience bliss.

Why does breathing feel so good compared to holding your breath? For one thing, oxygen is your body’s main source of energy. You might think that food is the body’s main energy source but try not breathing for a few minutes and you will soon change your mind. Some people can survive for months without food, whereas you would only survive for about three minutes without oxygen.

While it may sound like a cliché, breath really is life. That is, breathing is the same thing as being alive. If you were to come across an unconscious person lying on the floor, the first thing you would do is check if they are breathing. Breath and life go hand in hand. If you are breathing, that means you are alive.​

So, remember to savor the simple pleasure of conscious breath. One reason breathing feels so good is because you are actively meeting your body’s most basic requirement. When you breathe, you are giving your body exactly what it needs to survive. By breathing deeply throughout the day, you open up a steady stream of life supporting energy within your being, enabling you to experience the subtle bliss of existence with each passing moment.