Putting your oxygen mask on first – the importance of breathing.

It may be hard to imagine that buried within a five minute airline safety demonstration, lies one of life’s most valuable lessons.  “If you are traveling with small children or someone who may require your assistance, please ensure you put your oxygen mask on first and breathe normally, before helping those around you”.  If you’re anything like me those words have gone in your eardrum countless times, as you patiently awaited an aircraft to taxi and take off.  But how many times have you actually listened to the message and let it sink in?

Human beings take about 20,000 breaths a day.  Of those, the average person is consciously aware of a mere fraction, if any at all.  But don’t worry, the human body and mind is set up this way – to have the ability to perform imperative actions subconsciously, in order to free our conscious mind for more complex concepts or behavior.  This is why we can listen to a radio program, talk on the phone, plan a meeting in our head or decide what to make for dinner, all while driving to the office.  This is all well and good, with the exception of the fact that our lives have gotten too busy, too overloaded, too stressful, too much.  So, what do we do?  Breathe….

Eckhart Tolle, love him or hate him, has brought world-wide attention to the state of our consciousness.  We have been conditioned, through years of programming, to remain detached from the present moment.  However, the present moment is where the true joy and beauty of life reside.  So, how do we remain present?  Breathe…

North American’s have never been more stressed, more overweight, more sleep deprived or more medicated than we are today.  What’s going on here?  It seems as though we’ve created a culture that is not connected with cause, and instead is fixated on treating even the most minor of symptoms and ignoring where the roots of discomfort are.  How do you know what’s causing your discomfort?  Breathe… READ MORE