Joy to the World, or Just Breathe!

I’ve flirted with meditation for some time, but really couldn’t quite get the hang of it, until this year with deep breathing as a must.

Were you aware or have you thought about it, the fact we receive 80% of our energy from the air that we breathe, if you haven’t think about it for a moment.

How long are we able to go without food, how long without water? How long without air? That should indicate where oxygen falls on the priority list when it comes to being healthy. Oxygen is it. We can live for days without food or water, but we can live merely minutes without oxygen. Yet because of various reasons often our breathing is shallow which even though it may sustain life, we breathe in such a way this shallow breathing doesn’t enhance it or provide optimal support for our body.

And even though we may not realize it, breathing is a means of increasing joy & happiness as well. As many of you may have read I’ve suffered with clinical depression for the majority of my life, even as a child when that wasn’t known, and especially as a teenager through my young adult years until today.

Through a healthy regiment of whole foods, exercise by way of Yoga, cleaning up my environment plus meditation I’ve developed skills to combat this malady. But still, as the advertisement attest—those who take pharmaceutical anti-depressants 2 out 3 will still experience symptoms of depression. In other words it’s a BITCH to eradicate completely—AND even though I did take anti-depressants for years, I no longer take medication. This healthy regiment I’ve adopted has proved to be better for me than meds [but I want to stress, for me] we each have to find our way of coping.

However, because this is my personality I feel the need to share when I discover something that’s helped me hoping it will help others as well.

I feel at times my incessant health topics are boring to those who have no interest, so I’ve decided when discussing such things it will be addressed at the Wellness Center http://rosewillow.ca/members/The_Wellness_Center/forum/ or here.

That way if you stumble upon this information, perhaps it was meant to be and it’s my hope and intent, somehow it will assist you in your journey.

I was feeling depressed, dog dirty down—not quite in the mode to grab the razor and start slicing my wrist but wondering what in the hell it’s all about Alfie. Although generally I’ve been doing better, its winter the precarious months for depression and as is my M.O. someone hurt my feelings.

Emotionally I went into a funk. Honestly wanting to let it go, as I’ve learned it’s not about our circumstances as much as our spiritual currency of joy. If you possess an abundance of the feel good hormones you aren’t inclined to sweat the small stuff, heck you don’t even sweat the big stuff. You’re so frak’n happy you can be in the worse situation and still experience joy.

Ok, back to my down dog dirt tale. I was wallowing in it early this morning, then I started to deep breath—slow and methodical–and I also began praying to The Mother of God. This brings me comfort–a Catholic woman who was suffering with Environmental Illness felt closer to God by praying to the Mother. AND intuitively I knew I would also.

I asked to be filled with her unconditional LOVE in such a way I could let this petty slight go. Because I knew it was about me and not what had been done to me. It always is…..guess what? I’ll be darn, it worked. Now whether it sticks or not, probably not,[I’ll have to refill the tank often] because I’m after all a VATA—like the wind subject to change often, rising falling, whirling chaotic, calm and seductive, angry and even sometimes self destructive. All within one hour….Haaa–ok, I’m exaggerating, but you get the picture. I’m moody.

But never has it worked quite this way. And it’s not a matter of Walla over night, I’ve been working at this for a while and the changes have been subtle. Yet with baby steps I’m moving in the right direction.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that peace and joy and yes happiness is just a matter of a breathing correctly, or at least a large portion of the remedy for those of us who struggle with clinical depression.

In many cultures–the breath is considered divine, and yes I’m beginning to get this. As a Zen Christian I’ve combined many traditions because I don’t believe we have a monopoly on that path that leads to God. We can’t get it wrong, even those that by way of appearances seem LOST, but breathing and focused meditation [I like to think of it as active praying—or be still and know that I am God] can enhance this journey.