Day 9

Word of the Day – Inhale

Breathe in deeply to bring your mind home to your body.

– Thich Nhat Hanh

Breathing. From the very first moment of our life, we have been breathing. We breathe the air and thus we live. So, what’s new in breathing? You may ask.

But the secret is, there is an immense power in breathing and this is related to mindfulness.

When your mind is wandering, yet, you wish to draw more focus on the present moment, this takes a lot of time. But, if you try to be still and inhale in a deeper way, by few minutes, your mind will be calm.

That time, if you pay more attention, precisely and gently to your breath, coming back again and again, you will slowly cultivate a resilience that will allow you to be present in here and now, even when difficulty and temptation arise in your life. It’s a fact that our life is full of distractions. But, you can resist yourself to get lost in them, by practicing mindful breathing.

And here lies the key to a peaceful life and being still from within. The breath offers a meaning to our lives. When you will be more attentive to your breathing, you will allow to inhale the serenity and calmness inside.

Here begins the day of Inhale.

The task of the day:

Sit in a calm place, preferably close to nature. Find a relaxed and comfortable position for breathing.
Relax your body, and Breathe.
Start slowly and gently. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.
Pay attention to your breathe and bring your focus to your breathing. Don’t rush. You have to do just two activities: Inhale and exhale.
Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.
Feel the natural flow of breath—in and out. You don’t need to do anything to your breath. Don’t get bothered about your breath being long or short. Just focus on natural breathing.
Notice where you can feel your breath in your body. See if you can feel the sensations of your breath, one breath at a time. When one breath ends, the next breath begins.
Notice your breath, in silence. From time to time, it might happen that you’ll get lost in thought, don’t be worried about that. Gently, bring your focus to your breathing process. And then, slowly, return to your breath.

After a few minutes, once again, notice your body. Bring your consciousness to your body, the whole body, seated here. Let yourself allow to be here and in this moment only. Relax your body even more deeply.

Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.
Bring your entire focus on this conscious and gentle breathing.
And then, find a moment to appreciate yourself for doing this practice today.

Quote of the Day:

Inhale the beauties of life to welcome peace and calm.

– The Saffron Storyteller

Affirmations of the day:
Today, I breathe life. Today, I breathe hope. Today, I breathe serenity and calmness within. I inhale peace and exhale all my worries. Today I feel calm from within as I discovered breathing is itself a peaceful practice.

Write in your journal:
Today you have to write your observation on breathing. Write about your feelings when you were inhaling more mindfully. What you noticed, the changes you observed while breathing. How calmer you are feeling now. How your mind is feeling peaceful, everything related to the task of inhaling.

The last step of the process:
Before you leave the place, assure yourself by saying: “Today I learned to be more attentive towards my breathing. This state of calm makes my mind more peaceful than before. All this paved the way towards inner peace. I dedicated a few minutes to calm the mind and to be aware of this present moment only. I will let this peace of mind stay with me for the whole day. I will come back tomorrow with a new purpose and try to learn a new way of living mindfully.
I am here to receive more peace and more calm in my life.”
This is all for today. We will come back here tomorrow once again with a new way of mindful living. Till then, be mindful, be peaceful.

And be grateful for your every breath, as your every breath is a gift of life.

(This post is a part of my A to Z series on Mindful Living, titled “More Peace, More Calm”. This is also a part of Blogchatter A to Z Challenge. Read all the posts of this series here.)