Mindfulness of breathing is a practice of learning to harmonize your attention with what is, in this moment. Short, long, deep, shallow are all fine breaths. Trust your body; it knows what is needed. - Christina Feldman, "Meditation Q&A" |
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I read this quote and was reminded of a time where I forgot to breathe.
I was working on a large project in Las Vegas as both a coder and consultant. Because of electricity glitches at the time and because of a network with old security constructs stuck in places that stopped the program in testing, I was getting a little bit concerned about meeting the time deadline for the project. I was sitting in the IT control center, working, when one of the young men got up and came over to my chair and slapped me on the back. I turned to him, shocked.
“Breathe.” He said. “You stopped breathing! You get so focused that you forget to breathe.”
I drew in a deep breath and realized he was correct. My lungs were empty and my body was starting to shake. I thanked him for noticing. I sat quietly for a few minutes and closed my eyes and just counted one breath after another until I reached sixty. My shoulders relaxed. My body relaxed. My mind became clearer. I had the answer to fix my testing system.
Sometimes, to keep going, one just needs to breathe.
Blessings,
Judy