Today I was going through some pamphlets that the hospital gave me on "Your Recovery After Surgery" and it recommended that I "breathe deeply".
Seriously?
To my suprise, it read that patients often forget to breathe deeply after surgery and it's important to do this to prevent lung problems and increase endurance. What this pamphlet should have advised was that most people (with or without surgery) forget to breathe. Sometimes I'm so worried, anxious or caught up in my own thoughts that I forget to step back and just let air in and out.
One of my favorite sections of Oprah's O Magazine was "Breathing Space". I'm not sure if this content still exists in her most recent issues, but basically it was a two page spread of a large scenic landscape that was simply marvelous: a mountain beside a babbling brook, a field of wildflowers, or a stary night sky. It was a nice break from the Dr. Phil advice, Slim Fast ads, and "oh yeah here's some of O's favorite things that you probably can't afford but isn't this $150 engraved wine bottle opener cute?!!!" pages.
This blog has been a "deep breath" in my recovery from surgery and honestly in the past month I forgot to take a step back and just....
Liked this post - always need a reminder because it really does do wonders! XO
ReplyDeleteKatie, I so agree. On the days I meditate and I am having problems getting into silence, I just listen to my breathing. Something interesting I realized while doing this one morning, was that I wasn't really doing the breathing but that God was breathing for me. This seemed to make it that much easier to get into the silence. I've heard it said once that God is right under our nose....
ReplyDeleteAt night, in bed, when a million thoughts are running through my head, I take about 5 deep breaths....I find that this relaxes my body and then I fall off to sleep.
I love this blog Katie and I hope that you continue it for a long time to come.
Love,
Aunt Maureen