Pause at the Threshold to Breathe

You already know that my resolution for 2011 (besides this blogging challenge) is to BREATHE.

To welcome support with that, I subscribed to the Chopra Center’s 21-day Meditation Challenge. Today is day 2. I laughed when davidji called it perhaps the most important day. (Showing up a second time does begin a commitment.)

For this morning, davidji focused on breath. He led us to inhale to the count of four, hold four, exhale four, and hold out four, repeating a couple of minutes. It’s always restorative to let go of everything–my thoughts, my worries, the past and the future–and receive my gratitude–for breath itself. Even those brief moments shift the energy into peace, contentment, wisdom, and creativity.

And my favorite part was his sharing his own practice. Whenever davidji comes to a closed door–home, car, office, or garage–he pauses those sixteen seconds to repeat that breathing pattern, and then he opens the door. What a beautiful way to be present at each threshold.  Perhaps in my case, I need to pause at the open doors as well. And bridges? Definitely.

If you’d like to join the same meditation series, here it is.

Text © Gwyn Nichols 2011

Photo © Victor Zastol Skly / from iStockPhoto #000010809252

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