Breathe

I've forgotten to breathe.  Of course, the act of respiration unconsciously continues in the background, but the nourishing and filling act of being aware of my pranic power has dwindled.  Have you ever been so wrapped up in the striving or surviving that days pass without noticing the delicate processes that fill and empty you.  Pain can do this.  Be it physical or emotional, the act of carrying discomfort around is a weight on the lightness of the breath. 

I spent two weeks in Greece remembering the subtle power of receiving and releasing the breath through my body.  Opening old wounds so that they could be healed and remembering the joy of being alive.  Now I wake up every day and say my prayers, kiss the earth (literally), and come to my mat with the intention of starting the day by remembering and experiencing the immense grace of the breath.

Except for today.  Today I feel heavy with sadness.  Today I have to dig deep to remember.  Today I give myself over to the practice of feeling fully.  Allowing the pain to course through me and continuing to breathe is as much a practice as Surya Namaskar or Trikonasana.  So when I roll out my mat today, my practice may not look like much from the outside, but within I am standing in the fire.  Willing myself into the sadness, not around it, and not in spite of it.  And trying to remember to breathe.