Breathing

I was disappointed to see that the snow melted very quickly and the lovely, magical ravine became very muddy. The dogs and I both needed some exercise so we took our walk through the neighbourhood.

We walked for about 45 minutes but when we arrived home, I felt sort of uptight and let-down. Yes, I did have some exercise and fresh air (if you don't count the exhaust of the cars passing by) but I did not feel spiritually refreshed. I realized that, exercise aside, I need and want silence, stillness and a sense of calm. Nature gives that to me. But how does it affect my physical sense of well-being?

When I walk through the neighbourhood, my breathing is shallow and I really only use about a quarter of my lung capacity. (Not much.) But when I walk through the woods on a quiet, snowy day, my breathing becomes much deeper. When I go back to nature, to walk and enjoy and just be I automatically breathe more deeply. That explains why I feel so good! My lungs are filling up with oxygen and I feel happy, relaxed and content.

My yoga teacher, Marita is a wonderful woman and I love her. She is German by birth and still retains traces of her German accent. During class, she encourages us to "breathe" but she pronounces it "breeze". I used to smile at the metaphor but now I automatically breathe in deeply and then release the air slowly in a gentle "breeze".

My darling little spaniels are curled up in their beds and I can hear their steady, even breathing as I write this. They look so peaceful. They know instinctively how to breathe and stretch. But stretching is something I will touch on in my next blog!