Breathing

Breathing is so terribly underrated. It can calm us down when we are hysterical, and make us feel more energized when we are exerting ourselves. It helps identify drunk drivers, and, thanks to modern technology, even prevents them from re-starting their car engines. We know breathing's important, of course. It's woven throughout our common parlance. We say we "breathe more easily" when we are free of pressing concerns. We breathe a sigh of relief. A wonderfully unique person is breath of fresh air. When we want someone to get a new perspective on a crisis, we tell them first to take a deep breath.

And yet, every time I catch a cold, at some point during the suffering through of that cold (in this case, afternoon of day five) it occurs to me that once again, I had forgotten to appreciate my breathing while it was easier to do.

Extreme cold is interesting in that you get to see your breath, but that's hardly the most pleasant way to be aware of one's breathing.

Yoga is nice in that it makes you focus on your breathing, often in a temperature controlled environment; guided meditation typically does, too. But unless a yoga instructor or meditation guru is actually telling me to focus on my breathing, I generally forget to. Of course, that's not as bad as actually forgetting to breathe, which as I recall, seems to be a common problem in aerobics class - even Jane Fonda repeats the phrase "remember to breathe" throughout her workout videos - but still, how can we forget something as important as our breath?

So, do me a favor please, those of you who are breathing easily today. Sit up straight and oxygenate yourself right now and focus on the wonderful feeling of being able to do that. Feel the wellness in your body as your lungs fill with air and oxygen flows into your every cell. Doesn't that feel good? You are truly blessed.

If you have ever had a loved one taken off a ventilator, you know how precious our breath is.

I watched my grandmother die of tuberculosis while none of us or the doctors at Yale-New Haven hospital had any idea what was what was going on. She fought for every breath until they became too shallow to sustain her. So, that keeps my cold in perspective. Lest you thought this was a pity party. It's not. I know I will be just fine. I just need to drink more tea and try to go to bed at a decent hour, and maybe keep the temperature in my bedroom above 61 degrees.

And I'll bet a little yoga wouldn't be a bad idea, either.