I recently participated in a guided meditation where the leader started by stating that the average adult takes about 21,600 breaths in ONE day. And ... how many of those breaths are mindful breaths, he asked? Probably none if we don't make an effort to do so.
All it takes is for us to be present, to be aware — in order for these breaths to be mindful. And, it doesn't have to be a meditative and super organized process, just an awareness of what it is that we are doing... breathing! The good news is that we don't have to constantly think about breathing in order to survive. Breathing is an autonomous response. So, making the effort to carve out some breaths during our day to make them mindful breaths really gets us to slow down and to appreciate the fact that we are breathing. That we are taking in precious air to oxygenate our blood, our cells, our entire bodies. We can take this opportunity to thank our lungs for being there for us :)
Once you start calculating the numbers, they become almost too much to think about. If we take an average of 21,600 breaths in one day and we multiply them by 365 days in one year, we take about 7.8 million breaths in one year. Now multiply that number times your age and you get the idea of how many breaths you've taken in your life! Wow!
Now think about the next 10, 20, 30+ years. Think about how your life could change for the better if you just practiced mindful breathing for five minutes every day. All you have to do is commit to carve out time and sit down to relax and be mindful of your chest expanding while your lungs fill up with life energy air, then as you exhale, your lungs contracting. A rhythmic sequence that keeps us alive. You don't even have to be sitting down to do it — you can do this anywhere. In the train during your commute to the office, during a boring work meeting, in line at the grocery store, as you fold clothes, etc.
The same theory can be applied to other things we do, like eating. Think about it. You eat at least 3x per day, if not 5x when you include snacks, etc. So ... making the effort to eat mindfully vs. just chomping down food to satiate hunger will also get us to slow down and appreciate what we are eating. Not only will we taste and enjoy the flavor and texture of the food better, but our digestive system will thank us. Remember that digestion first starts in the mouth as we chew and release saliva — which starts the process of digestion. When we eat fast and not pay much attention, this precious step is often skipped or not fully completed. Which then puts the extra burden on the rest of the digestive track.
We can also apply this to anything we do. Often times we neglect our bodies of the much-needed self-love and self-care they need. So, next time you shower, make an effort to be extra mindful of your body. As you scrub your legs, your arms, your torso — be mindful of the amazing machine your body is. It is perfectly engineered to do what you ask it to do. And, it is also perfectly capable of healing itself, if you allow it to. Thank your body for being there for you too.
So, YOU get the idea... being MINDFUL in today's fast-paced personal and professional environments will only help us deal with the stress and the craziness that our lives can sometimes be.
Today's challenge for you is to start being more mindful of your breathing. Try it for five minutes and see how you feel. I'm confident that if you start this, you'll like it so much that you'll continue it and expand it to other areas of your life.
Remember to commit to thrive and #payyourhealthfirst
-- Chris
