Remembering to Breathe

a : to draw air into and expel it from the lungs : respire; broadly : to take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide through natural processes b : to inhale and exhale freely

Sometimes I get going so fast that I forget to breathe...literally.  Of course eventually I remember, and I take a big, gulping breath so I don't, you know, pass out or anything, but I really wish I could slow down and remember to breathe on a regular basis.

All my yoga teachings, meditation education and self-help books always emphasize slowing down...be in the moment...breathe.  Um yeah.  That works when I'm home, in my pale blue and white bedroom with the billowy white curtains (it's the only girly place in the house) or when I'm in a yoga studio with a big Buddha head on the wall and new age music playing softly in the background.  Not so much when I'm doing 14 things at once and I'm juggling another 20 more plus lining up the world so it goes smoothly tomorrow.  That's when I seem to forget to "be present", "be still" and "breathe".

I often wonder what these "present" and "in the moment" people look like in real life.  Do they ever get stressed out and forget to take a deep, cleansing, ojai breath?  Do they ever just lose it?  Somewhere, is there a formerly serene yogi going off on her teenage sons because they forgot to mention a party that 1) they need a gift for and 2) means they won't be home for the dinner you just spent 2 hours of your time making when you and your husband could have made due with peanut butter and jelly? 

I hope so...it would make me feel so much better about myself. 

If I really, really practice all my yoga and meditation principles, will I be a serene yogi?  Or will I just be able to recover quicker and get back to my happy place faster?  Even that would be an improvement.

I feel scattered and overwhelmed and like I need to take a breath...hold on...ahhhh....that's better.  Now I won't turn blue.  It is my favorite color but not when it's in my complexion.

So I'll use this brief post to remind myself to stop and breathe. Then, if necessary, I'll go ahead yell at my kids or my husband or the dog because really, that can be therapeutic as well.