The Breath as a Storyteller

Consider your breath, right now. Feel how it moves as you inhale….and exhale. Now consider the relationship your lungs have with your heart. Each breath - the expansion and contraction of the lungs - creates a massaging effect on the pericardial sac surrounding the heart. Movement of the lungs can incite the heart to speed up in a moment of excitement or fear. So too, the movement of the lungs can soothe and calm the heart when feeling relaxed and at peace.

In this way, the breath – its speed, depth, length, rhythm, and quality – tells the story of each moment.  This story is imprinted on the heart like words on the pages of our favourite books. Sometimes there is conflict that goes unresolved and other times, in those truly glorious moments, there is abounding joy. If we ever turn back to the memories recorded on the heart, the breath will reminisce with us. When we draw our attention to the breath and listen to the story being told, we can choose what happens next. The more time we spend listening to the story of breath, the better we understand what is needed to make our stories better.

Consider your breath again. What story can you hear right now and how might you want to change it?