being breathed

what a gift

Hello dear friend… thank you for being you.

Let’s pause together to savor one of life’s persistent miracles: we’re being breathed.

No alarms, reminders, or notes needed—inhale, exhale, repeat. Here comes another one.

Meanwhile, we tie ourselves in knots over markets, neighbors, or some stranger’s bad behavior on the social media.

And maybe this is precisely the point.

We’re breathed so we can choose how to live.

I think of dolphins, and their lifelong mission: remember to breathe. Breathing’s voluntary for them—half their brain stays awake during sleep to make sure they get the breath they need. One eye open, one eye closed. Up near Vancouver a few years ago, I chanced upon a pod of orca napping. Or, half-napping? Guardians circled slowly and widely around juveniles tucked tightly with their moms. After a few minutes, the center sank, then the outer ring followed. Even asleep, they breathe with purpose.

We’ve all read Hitchhiker’s Guide, right? Dolphins have a sense for things that humans just don’t. Maybe that conscious breathing is part of their greater consciousness. They tried to warn us.

Funny to realize how the beautiful gift of breath spoils us a bit.

Because we don’t have to remember to breathe, we can ignore everything about the breath. Only when it’s troubled by illness, disease, or discomfort do we start to monitor it; only when we return to health do we celebrate it. Otherwise, breath-schmeath. Why bother?!

Well, may I humbly suggest, lots of reasons! Our attention to the breath lifts our spirits, soothes our rage, steadies our hearts, and cradles our sleep.

The fuel of breath keeps us alive; the way we breathe helps us thrive.

This month, I’ll share simple breath guidance here on knowing thyself—little nudges to notice it, admire it, let it lead. We’ll watch our bodies breathing, use simple techniques to sharpen focus, and try an ancient method to purify the system. To get started, mark your calendar for Friday morning, 4/11 at 9:15am PDT. I’m hosting a 15-minute Breathing Together class and I’d love to see you there.

Breath regulation isn’t an intellectual exercise—it’s practice. Every breath mindfully followed hones discipline, patience, control, acceptance. Sure, you could build those important resources by chopping wood, wrangling kids, or building family empires, but breath? We all have it. No ax or kids required. It’s inclusive, portable, and potent medicine for body, heart, mind, and soul—when we wield it wisely.

Physically, it’s a tune-up: our sinuses clear, heart rate dips, blood pressure mellows. Emotionally, it gives us a pause to shift our mood—those three deep breaths before we snap? Practice makes them second nature. The breath becomes our soothing companion. Mentally, we find better focus. Intellectually, discipline.

Traditionally, the breath prepares us physically, emotionally and intellectually for meditation and prayer. That means we find ourselves comfortably navigating the spiritual plane. We connect there. It is the thread weaving us and everything into a timeless, universal tapestry—Buddha’s exhale, Jesus in prayer, Helen Keller’s sigh, your grandkid’s first gasp. Breathe with all your heart, and you find life living through you.

We… are… breathed.

Here’s today’s lesson, a guided lesson to feel our dear bodies breathing.

here is a dear body alive with breath— thank goodness.

No strain, no discomfort—just receiving what’s always ours into these beautiful bodies. This is how we start to build a breathing practice.

Want a guide to start? Reach out—book a one-on-one, or ask me anything. We all breathe, but the breath finds us uniquely. Let’s follow this month— together.

Don’t forget! Join me this week for a live breathing class on Insight Timer. Free for you and donations are always appreciated. Friday, April 11 at 9:15am PDT. We’ll breathe together and sit quietly for 15 minutes. No fuss, no muss. Come along!