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Breath as the Source of Life

Breath of life, spirit of life

In the Old Testament creation story, God shapes a man from a lump of clay, but this new creature only becomes fully alive when God “breathes life” into him with his own “divine breath”—or should I say, “divine inspiration”? Many languages reflect this connection, and the use of terms like inspire and expire are similarly rooted (in Latin) to the concepts of the soul/spirit entering or leaving the body, respectively. This marvelous creation image conveys and combines everything we experience when we let our breath flow: Our breath connects body and soul; it’s what makes us alive. It also echoes our own birth: Our first breath—and, usually, our first cry soon after—marks the beginning of our personal journey through this world.

The first thing we must learn is to breathe.

—Buddha

Let your breath flow

Of all our bodily functions, breathing enjoys a special status. On the one hand, it is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, so it happens involuntarily; on the other, we can influence it at will. Respiratory training courses and yoga schools use this consciously controlled approach to teach special breathing techniques.

From the moment we’re born, the breathing process unfolds in such a way that it literally brings us to life and keeps us alive without our intervention. Over time, physical restrictions and, above all, psychological experiences influence this finely tuned system—but luckily we can also learn how to allow this life-giving breath back again when it shifts out of sync. This requires that we turn our attention to our personal breathing, which—with the help of mindful body and voice exercises—can then be liberated again. Free-flowing breath provides the vital oxygen we need to feel alive, and also gives a greater lightness to the body, mind, and soul. The following exercises will help you (re)discover the gift we each received the day we were born—a natural talent we need only refresh to enjoy anew.

Invite your breath in, and give it a warm welcome

The first step is to get acquainted with your breathing, just as you would with a person you want to get to know a bit better, and maybe even become friends with. The guidelines for building interpersonal relationships also apply to how we handle our breath: Take every opportunity to get to know each other, free of all expectation, and stay open to whatever might develop. The following exercises will allow you to encounter your breath—and, with it, yourself.

Loll about and stretch like a cat

Take pleasure in stretching, lolling, and rolling around—not just in the morning, but multiple times throughout the day. This is beneficial after spending long periods seated at a desk, on a long drive, and so on. Stretching is good for tense muscles as it makes them more mobile again and ensures better blood circulation. It also widens your rib cage, creating more room for deeper inhalation. Feel free to yawn, sigh, and even moan. At home you can crawl on all fours and imitate a cat’s movements. It might sound silly, but you’ll feel the difference afterward!

Clean your room

Using your tongue, give your entire oral cavity a good “scrub.” Run your tongue along the inner and outer sides of your teeth, inside your cheeks and lips, and across your palate. Keep your lower jaw soft and slightly open, your lips lightly closed and relaxed. After giving the room that is your mouth a thorough clean, let your tongue lie on the floor and rest. Close your eyes and feel a fresh sense of relaxation each time you release your breath. A relaxed tongue not only has a positive effect on your breathing, but also on the throat muscles and their ability to free your voice.

Get in flow

When our breath flows freely, so do our lives. Just as respiratory and other physical blockages can be broken through, so, too, can mental blocks and other areas of life where we might feel stuck be released and eventually return to a flow state. This doesn’t usually happen at the flip of a switch. But if we regularly engage in a mindful breathing practice, free of any and all expectations, we’ll be better prepared for impasses and will be able to ease ourselves into a more harmonious life.

Loosen your lower jaw

Everyday life often leads us to clench our teeth, and most of the time we don’t even notice it. Start paying attention to this every now and then, and consciously loosen your lower jaw while keeping your lips closed. At first it might help to gently place your hands on your cheeks and mandible joints in order to release them. With practice you’ll find that you’ll be able to do it without your hands. Relaxing our temporomandibular joints—the ones by your ears that connect your jaw to your skull—helps our breath flow better and opens up the throat.

Let your breath ebb and flow

Relax your lips, and as you start to exhale, make an “f” sound—for free, fluid, focused—allowing the breath to smoothly flow out. Then wait for the following inhalation to flow in naturally, on its own, and again exhale with an “f” sound. You can even use your hands or index fingers to make “conducting” gestures in the air as you exhale, if it helps you breathe out more smoothly. The most important thing is to focus on the exhalation; let the inhalation happen all by itself. This exercise will lengthen and deepen your breath. It also provides a strong foundation for your voice, which can then carry farther by this free-flowing breath.

As long as I breathe, I hope. As long as I hope, I love. As long as I love, I live.

—Cicero

Circle your own center

Sit upright in a chair, almost on the edge of the seat. Set your feet and knees hip-width apart and rest your hands on your thighs. Now circle your pelvis around your “sitz” bones (more formally known as the ischial tuberosities, these are the parts of the pelvis you can feel when you sit on your hands). Let your upper body and head be carried along by this movement. Feel how your breathing syncs to the flowing rhythm of this circling motion. After a few rounds, switch to the opposite direction. The circle can be big, small, or anywhere in between—on any given day, your body will tell you what’s best.

A reed in the breeze

Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart and in solid contact with the ground. Keep your knees soft and slightly bent. Close your eyes. Begin gently rocking back and forth, as if you were a reed or blade of grass being caressed by the wind. Feel how your body becomes more flexible, especially in the legs, pelvis, spine, shoulders, arms, and neck—and even your head. Is your face relaxed, your lower jaw comfortably loose? Can your breathing relax, too? Don’t force it—just let it happen. You can adapt this exercise to be done almost anywhere, even while waiting in line, just keep your eyes open and do very small, subtle movements.

Listen to your breath

Pause every once in a while and turn your attention to the breath. Just observe it, without any judgment. Is your breathing even? Shallow? Are you unconsciously holding your breath? Where do you feel each breath causing movement in your body? Where does it want to go, and where might you be holding it back? Don’t try to force any specific kind of breathing. Merely giving it some love and attention can trigger a natural sigh of relief. The first step is to become aware of the breathing process—then connect with it, over and over. You might try this when you’re sitting on the couch at the end of the day, waiting in the line at the supermarket, or in the car as you sit at a red light. Just let the breath happen.

Breath as a bowl

Sit upright, square atop your sitz bones, without leaning against the back of the chair and preferably toward the front edge. Set your knees and feet hip-width apart, and hands on your thighs. Gently tilt your pelvis backward as you inhale; your back will be a bit rounded and your chin will sink toward your chest. Then gradually tilt your pelvis forward as you exhale; your back and head will straighten up. As you do these movements, always rock slowly and consciously over your sitz bones. Imagine that your pelvis is a bowl: As you tip backward, inhaling, your breath flows into your pelvis and rounded back. As you tip forward or sit up straight, exhaling, your breath flows out again—preferably through soft lips shaped to make an “f” sound. Move with the breath. When you’ve straightened up and fully exhaled, wait for the inhale to return on its own, and then just let it flow into your “bowl.” Notice how, between the movement and the breathing, a steady rhythm develops.

Gift yourself a smile

Sit up straight, your feet hip-width apart and well rooted to the ground, your knees equally spaced, and hands on your thighs. Now simply close your eyes and smile. This smile not only shapes your mouth, but extends across your whole face, up to your relaxed eyes and forehead. Can you feel where it’s working? Do you notice how it has a relaxing effect on your breathing? Let your attention linger on the breath and its related sensations. Turning inward this way, once a day for a couple of minutes, will give you a greater sense of serenity and well-being.