"Respira, moça!"
What was the last fun thing you learned?
For me, it was Breathing. Yeah, I know, really?
Breathing is something I used to take for granted. I trusted my lungs were doing a great job and no supervision was required. No supervision, and no reviews either. If you were to lead a company the same way, do you think it would be successful? Obviously not, and yet we lead our bodies like that.
The only time I used to pay attention to my breathing was when I was out of breath, funny that. I was in my late 20s when someone told me breathing through my belly was a better way of breathing and I laughed it off. That's silly! 🙈
Rolling forward a few years, I started noticing my breath: when anxious, stressed, embarrassed, on the odd occasion I was running ... to catch a bus, when playing badminton, or meditating. I actively brought it to an even pace.
Many times, I would forget about it and life would politely remind me.
Credit Mitchell Orr
Last year, while walking briskly uphill in Brazil, a young man said,"Respira, moça!". (Breathe, girl) I was enjoying it so much, that I wasn't breathing properly, I forgot to pay attention to my breath.
Who knew I would learn to breathe properly only in my thirties? And even then with hiccups. 😅
This year, my new challenge is breathing while swimming. It's a whole new experience, isn't it? I know how great it will feel when I master it.
What I've learned in the past decade is that being mindful of my breath allows me to know myself better, to notice when I'm pushing myself beyond my limits, when I'm stressed, calm, or happy.
Hope this helps another soul.
When did you learn to breathe properly? What's your story?
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