Which part of you breathes?

Indulge me in a thought experiment, would you? Take a moment to think about the question: which part of you breathes?

You might think, that’s easy, it’s my lungs.

It’s hard to argue with that.

Argue with it anyway.

Couldn’t you say your mouth and nose breathe? Your lungs draw air in, but through where?

How about your throat? If your throat feels irritated, breathing can feel unpleasant.

Okay, yes, all of those bits involve themselves with breathing.

Very interesting.

But we’re not done yet.

What about your abdomen? Proper, deep breathing involves breathing into your diaphragm. You can breathe into your chest the same way you can walk on your hands – if you do it all day, you’re wrecking yourself.

What about the small of your back? Doesn’t it sometimes lift as you draw a deep breath in?

Does your nervous system breathe? Without your brain and nervous system, your body is inert meat.

Have you ever tried breathing into your hands or feet? If not, try it now. Take a few breaths to get past any self-consciousness. Letting the air pull into your toes, then letting the exhale draw everything out of you, is a nice breathing exercise.

Do you breathe with the air around you?

In a way, yes.

Do you breathe with the floor or chair beneath you?

In a way, yes.

Do you breathe with the universe? Since you’re a crucial part of it, don’t you do everything with the universe?

There’s more to breathing than gulping down air. Much more. How you breathe changes your neurology and physiology on deep levels.

So why don’t you explore more ways to breathe.

And sit.

And think.

Even if you’ve never meditated before, you can start today.

Here’s the link for ya:

https://amzn.to/2Pe0jVN