The Breath as a Wild Friend

“Everything in any way beautiful has its beauty of itself, inherent and self-sufficient: praise is no part of it. So does the truly beautiful need anything beyond itself? No more than law, no more than truth, no more than kindness or integrity. Which of these things derives its beauty from praise, or withers under criticism?”

Marcus Aurelius - Meditations

Happy Monday, my Floating Friends, 

I hope this letter finds you grounded today and open to the beautiful weather we’ve been having. We are steadily approaching the opening of Spring, often referred to as Wood season in Taoist philosophies. Spring is the season that swiftly surges forward and fills the vastness of space with potential. It generates inspiration and stimulates beauty. And, of course, brings new life and possibilities. You may already sense this energy as a growing motivation or the spooling of new ideas and change. But don't panic too much if you're not feeling it yet, as we still have some Winter energy left ahead. So, I'll bookmark this chat and circle back next month when we'll be well on our way to Spring!

This month, I'd like to share with you a more creative visualisation - a metaphor I use to bond with my breath. Some of you may have experienced this already if you've been practising and breathing with me, but if you don't practice with me and appreciate analogies, I hope you enjoy this offering 

Whenever I take the time to sit quietly on my mat in preparation for asana or meditation, I always like to start with a moment of stillness as a way of pursuing prana and breath. Whenever I do this, it helps me to imagine my breath as a roaming animal. Moving through the landscape of my resting body and thriving in its natural habitat. Unbothered. Unchained. Relaxed in its reality and movements. And I really take the time to stop and observe, going quiet in the creatures' presence. I watch from afar before approaching with respect, reminding myself not to be too hasty. I don't want to force it or coerce it in any way. I just want to admire it as a wild thing.

This small step and benevolent pause help me to process something important - that my breath is not an object I own or control but a creature in its own right and form. I can observe this creature. I can enjoy and admire it. I can even learn to develop a mutual relationship. Or, I can cage it. Hunt it down and oppress it. Demanding it to serve my hungry needs. I could force, push, command, dominate, and be affronted when my desires aren’t being met.

But like a caged animal, distressed and underfed, my breath will grow lifeless and limp. It will recede within my body and subdue my functionality, as it cannot feed or reward me in return. My body becomes the cage that locks the breath away, disabling it from moving freely. I'll notice this as soreness, tightness and stubborn pain. Or an inability to move around with ease. I'll feel it in my frustration, impatience and self-defeat. The nagging headaches that won't go away. And the aimless wandering through constant symptoms of physical and mental imbalance. Steadily, I habituate to this lacklustre feeling with less vibrancy and life in my system. How many of us are used to this feeling and don't even know our colours are dimming?

Learning to caress the breath as you would stroke a magnificent horse allows you to appreciate it as something divine. Impressive in its own right and standing. It is an essence you get to enjoy, an entity you’re invited to experience, but it doesn't need to be considered magical or majestic. Marcus Aurelius observed this truth - that anything of beauty has its beauty of itself, inherent and self-sufficient. A flower is not made less beautiful beneath the criticisms of man. Nor does our praise change the value of its qualities.  

If you are mindful and present, respectful and kind, and approach the breath with patience and awe, a connection might form that permits you to lead and exercise it through your yoga practice. With this partnership, your breath will guide you to previously unseen places. It can carry you through mountains of rigid, stubborn rock, helping you smooth the roughness of your body. Or it can swim with you to the depths of your dark and hidden oceans, reminding you that you're not alone or drowning. It can hasten a journey or slow it right down. It can exalt you far higher than you'd go alone.

But we must always remember that we don't own the breath. We are never in ultimate control. The pranic life force that lives inside you is a force that is driven to exist. Even if you attempted to hold your breath permanently, you would merely pass out and return to natural breathing. (I like to imagine this would be my brain saying, 'Hey, you're being dumb. I'm putting you to sleep now so we can breathe normally again'.)

But don't get me wrong, you can learn to wrangle the breath, maybe even guide it for a while, but it's still a wild creature and doesn't owe you anything. It chooses to inhabit you. Without it, your structure would have no life, which is a deep privilege to behold and share. Learning to move with this pranic creature will benefit your life immensely. In the same way that horse riding provides discipline and patience, moving with breath preserves mutual respect. Collaborating with prana and promoting its natural flow can bring great freedom, self-devotion and peace. It is a relationship that buries deeper than your soul. 

How do you like to envision your breath? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas xo

Namaste xo