The Breathing Thing, Part Two

When we use the word “breath” to refer to one cycle in a narrative of cycles called breathing, then it does refer to a thing; that is, a meeting that is a narrative with many participants.

Now “breath” no longer refers to an abstract mental concept. It is one narrative cycle in the larger narrative of a meeting with many participants, a meeting called breathing. It refers to a concrete thing; a meeting with concrete, actively breathing participants. 

You are participating in the meeting of breathing right now. You joined the breathing meeting with your first breath and have been participating in it ever since. You will participate in the meeting until your last expiration.

Everyone that is now breathing is an active participant in the thing, the on-going meeting, called breathing. The meeting has been going on since breathing began. It will go on as long as breathing continues. While we’re breathing, we’re participating in the meeting with everyone else that is breathing. It’s an inter-species meeting.

This cycle of the cosmic, inter-species breathing meeting will end with the last expiration of the last one breathing.

What we do while we breathe together matters. How we treat everyone else we’re breathing with matters.

How we treat air especially matters. It matters to everyone breathing in this cosmic breathing meeting that is happening now. It will matter as well to those who inhale the first breath that begins the next meeting of the cosmic cycle of breathing.

The Breathing Thing, Part One of Two

Breath. The word is not the thing. Nor does the word refer to the thing itself.

We cannot see breath with our eyes. We cannot imagine it. The word “breath” refers to an abstract concept in our mind.

[There is no image of breath to insert here]

 Breathing is a thing. The word “breathing” isn’t the thing; it refers to the thing.

And here’s the thing: breathing happens. We can see, hear, feel, and smell it. But it’s not an object. We cannot hold it in our hand. We cannot put breathing in a box and sell it.

Breathing is a meeting. It is a narrative with many participants. In non-technical terms, the narrative goes like this:

Diaphragm draws downward. Belly and lungs expand outward. Air responds and flows into nostrils downward into lungs. As air fills lungs, lungs expand making room for air. Diaphragm pauses a split second, relaxes, and pushes upward. In response to diaphragm’s push, lungs contract; air retreats from lungs and flows out nostrils. Diaphragm draws downward again…

The narrative of breathing is cyclic. Like the cycles of seasonal winds, each cycle is unique.

Part Two is about the importance of how we treat everyone we breathe with.
 

7 Simple Practices for Being Mindful of Spirit:

1. To be mindful is to attend to. Choose to kindly attend to your own and other's spirit. Set your intention: Breathe in; breathe out and say, "I kindly attend to my own and other's spirit." Return to this intention several times during the day.

2. To be spirited is to be alive. Our aliveness can vary from hour to hour and day to day. How spirited, how alive do you feel right now? Be mindful of your spiritedness several times throughout the day.

3. Pay attention to the connection between how you breathe and how spirited you feel. How do you feel after only allowing shallow breaths? How do you feel when you allow full, deep breaths to flow in and out?

4. Spirit means wind. The next time you're outside kindly attend to the wind. Hear it. See its effects in the trees. Feel it on your skin. Smell it. How is the wind today?

5. When you're outside feel the wind flow into your lungs. Feel it withdraw. The wind flows in and fills your lungs; it withdraws and empties your lungs. It breathes and animates you. Let the wind do what it does. Smile to the wind. Love it as it is and let it breathe you. How does this feel?

6. Spirit means breath. Smile and kindly attend to your breath. Breathe in, breathe out. Accept your breath as it is. Let your breath be as it is, however it is. Simply observe it, be aware of it without judging it good or bad, right or wrong. Let your breath be as it is. Love it as it is. Do this for three minutes and see how you feel.

7. When you're with another person, be mindful of his or her breath. Gaze into his or her eyes. Gently smile and listen closely. Breathe in when the other person breathes out and out when the other person breathes in. How does it feel? Breathe in and out when the other person breathes in and out. How does it feel? How are the two ways of attuning to the other's spirit different?