B R E A T H E

I used to get a little defensive whenever I saw a post or picture or meme telling me to breathe. I mean, I kinda know how to breathe. I've been doing it since I left the womb, after all. And if I didn't, well, there would be consequences. So what's with all the reminders to breathe?

What I came to realize is that these signs about breathing were actually reminding me to bring my attention to my breath, something I totally take for granted and rarely think about since it's so automatic. Through my work as a psychic medium and channel, I came to understand that the breath isn't just life-giving, it's consciousness-altering.

We humans tend to breathe very shallowly and just barely inflate the lungs. When you bring your attention to your regular, unconscious breath, you'll probably notice that you feel it moving through your nose and windpipe with a slight rise to the chest. It keeps your body alive and your mind functioning, so it must be good enough, right? Well, yes. But what if you were to get into the habit of more conscious breathing?

Shallow breathing serves to keep us alive, but it also contributes to shallow thinking. Have you ever noticed how you automatically heave a deep sigh when you face a challenge or think of something emotional? That sigh serves to expand your consciousness to more of a feeling place, a deeper level of thought and expression. Your breath helps you to connect with levels of consciousness that expand your awareness.

Think of the times when your breath is deepened: meditation, movement, sleep, etc. What is happening to your conscious mind during those times? In all of those moments, you're quieting the thinking mind and accessing an altered state of awareness. You're experiencing a deeper sense of connection and you're more present in the moment. In sleep, your waking consciousness shifts out of the way, allowing the subconscious dream state to emerge, and you may even experience astral travel, spirit communication and multi-dimensional experiences.

Your waking, thinking consciousness is an essential part of your ability to function as a human, but when it's the only way you're experiencing your existence, it can be a distraction from your higher senses. That's why practicing any form of meditation can balance your perception and help you feel less caught in the hamster wheel of your churning thoughts. And all forms of meditation entail a deepening of the breath.

Try it now: bring your awareness to your breath. Now make the next breath deeper, really filling the lungs, and exhale it fully. And again. Now make the next breath even deeper, breathing into the belly and feeling it expand. Now hold it for a few seconds, and then breathe it out fully, feeling the belly contract. How do you feel?

Taking a few breaks like this throughout your day is restorative, relaxing, and clearing. It shifts your energy and helps to bring you into balance. Use the breath when you feel stuck, when your energy is drained and low, when your emotions feel overwhelming and when you're feeling unsure of yourself.

The breath can also help you form a deeper connection with your intuitive voice, which is where you will receive guidance from your Higher Self, your guides, angels, and Source energy. Use the breath when you have decisions to make, when you set intentions for the future, and when you want to create a deeper sense of peace and confidence in yourself.

We breathe in our spirit with our first breath and breathe it our with our last, and in between, we can use the breath to form a deeper union with the essence of who and what we really are.

So when you see a meme, sign or t-shirt that says B R E A T H E, remember that it's reminding you to use the power of the breath to expand your consciousness to a higher state of awareness, instead of just allowing it to be an unconscious act of survival.

We all need to B R E A T H E !