5 Things I Learned from 40 Days of Breath Work

Last month I shared my reflections on the silent retreat I participated in. One thing I didn’t share was how much of the retreat focused on breathwork. Yes, you read that correctly: the art of breathing. During my time away, we explored how many of us have cultivated a lifestyle of shallow breathing, how important deep and intentional breaths are, as well as the benefits of consistently focusing on breath. 

During times of worry: breathe. During times of uncertainty: breathe. During times of sadness and despair: breathe. Breathe deeply. Breathe slowly. Breathe intentionally. I heard so much about breath work that I decided to commit to 40 days of daily, 20-minute breath work. Here is what happened. 

1. I started to laugh at myself more. Instead of judging my actions or leaning into negative self-talk, I found myself chuckling at my mistakes — thereby, offering myself a little more compassion and forgiveness … the exact things I want to offer the world and receive in return. 
2. I became less reactive and more responsive. I have a history of reacting which equates to when someone does or says something, I have a *quick* – and often thoughtless – reaction. Not an intentional reaction or in many cases, an appropriate reaction … just a reaction. I knew I wanted to address this. I wanted to be less reactive and more responsive. I wanted to pause, think, and carefully decide how or if I would respond. I now find myself feeling a bit delayed in my responses. Someone cuts me off in traffic and they are out of sight before I realize my normal reaction would be to blow my horn (or “lay on” my horn). Someone says something offensive or insensitive and in the moment, I smile, offer them grace and decide if further response is needed at a later time. I haven’t perfected this practice, but it feels so much better than my default reactions. 
3. I don’t feel as futuristic. I LOVE planning. It excites me. It energizes me. It gives me even more to look forward to. It’s a source of hope during challenging times. But all this future-forward thinking has also led me to miss many present moments. While there are some areas of my life that still require planning, especially work, I am more present. I am thinking about where I am and what I am doing now. COVID-19 has definitely helped with this and I now cherish my present days much more than I ever have. 
4. When I feel anxious or nervous or angry, I choose to breathe. A few weeks ago I was our university’s featured convocation speaker. Each time I felt my heart rate accelerating, I slowed my breaths and focused on deep, intentional breathing. This practice calmed my heart and my mind. I delivered my speech to the largest audience I’ve ever spoken in front of and felt … calm!

5. And finally, I prioritize and honor my breathwork. Twenty minutes can feel like a lot of time when my to-do list continues to run over. But because I’ve seen and felt the immediate results of this practice, I honor this time each morning. My day starts with reading a short devotion, followed by prayer and some light stretching (more on this later). And my next priority is to sit for 20 minutes to engage in my breathwork. I have felt the difference. I love the way it feels. I will continue. 

I could go on and on about how my ability to extend compassion has increased or how I am more mindful of my negative self-talk, or even how I am able to create more moments of stillness. This practice has been yet another gift I didn’t know I needed.

What practices are you cultivating to keep you hopeful, present, loving, compassionate, and kind? #KeepBreathing