No movement without breath

Today, being rooted in Kansas City is about finding the right employment opportunity. Over the past few months, I've been exploring many different opportunities. Broadening my thoughts to have conversations and after reflection on the possibilities, honing in on the specifics. Yoga practice helps with all of this.

Last week, our instructor reminded us how important it is to have “no movement without breath”. She confessed often times she holds her breath. So do I! I never had thought about it this way. As someone who is always working against anxiety which threatens to overwhelm through prayer, community and physical disciplines—I forget breath. It's what we need to be doing each minute of each day, but I forget....how does this happen?

Breath-so essential to my everyday existence and possibility of being a healthy human. The first step to self-care. Breathe! As I've had the chance to practice yoga during Jacob's Well Winter Institute offerings, being rooted has been practiced with my body. We're earthy beings. Connected to the ground. Grounded, able to breathe because of God's breath “ruach”-the wind breathed into the dry bones from Ezekiel's story.

Another thing Ashley said, struck me this week. “If we're not breathing, we're dead.” Dead?!? My first reaction was to respond as if this was ridiculous. But it's true. Without breath, we're stuck, we're not living fully. We are,in essence, dead.

So for today, I'm thinking being rooted means learning how to breathe here. This wintry-blustery air. The Blue and White kind of air. May God help me to breathe. Each day & stop holding my breath, but instead receive the gift the Spirit offers each minute of each day. Thanks be to God.