"Most books on witchcraft will tell you that witches work naked. This is because most books on witchcraft are written by men."
- Neil Gaiman

Monday, April 16, 2012

Breathing.... kinda important

So my second B (sorry still catching up) for the Pagan Blog Project is on Breath.
Breathing is the single most important thing we do and yet we don't always use it right. Too often we are just going through our day and do not realize the impact breath has on us. Think about it. Until you started reading this blog you probably weren't thinking of your breath...... but now.... you are noticing the speed and depth of your breath.... you may even feel the need to take a deep breath all of a sudden. Its funny what awareness does.
Ok, so we are aware now, so what?
Well breathing can help with so much in life...... you know besides the whole keep us living thing.
Being aware of our breath can help us relax. By taking longer, slower breaths we can reduce our heart rate and calm our mind. The more mindful we are of our breath, the more mindful we are of our mind, our body, our actions. Breath links everything together.
When I am in pain (I have CRPS - a chronic pain disorder), I breathe. This mindful breathing helps to calm my nerves and reduces the pain. When I'm stressed out in traffic..... or with my kids...... I breathe.
Take a few days and pay attention. Take note of how you are breathing in certain situations. Are you breathing rapid and shallow? Change it up, breathe slow and deep. Did your mood, attitude, behavior, response change? Emotions and feelings are seen in the breath.


Now, lets think of this on a more magical plane. If your behavior, attitude, and responses change in daily life according to the breath, it would stand to reason that the outcome of spells and rituals would also change according to the breath. And lets face it... Breath is Air. Air is thought, communication, teaching. How can we use this to our full advantage if we are not aware of how we are really using it. Many of us use many things to represent Air in spell work..... We may even use our breath...... but are we really constantly being mindful of our breathing? Being mindful of breath clears the mind so that we can work more naturally and receive more benefit.
I believe that if the eyes are the window to the soul then breath is a window to the heart.


Thank you for reading. I welcome all comments!!

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