For the last three nights, I’ve gone to sleep circa 10 and woken up alert and refreshed at 11:30. Each awakening, I thought I was greeting the morning. It’s been a bizarre, ritual-like occurrence. I, of course, like to figure what’s going on in my mind-body-spirit to cause the irregular/regular slumber interruption. There is not one factor consistently present. Two nights wine, one night not. One night air conditioning, two nights not. One night revved up on the Games of Thrones’ finale, two nights not. Same coffee intake all three days. I continue to ponder this oddity.
I’m becoming more and more aware of my body’s functionality. Sure, it only took almost fifty years to spike my interest in this faithful vessel but here I am. I believe it started with yoga a year and half ago. Yoga is the practice of body awareness. The poses, the breathing, the energy target releasing toxins and finding peace and strength within myself. I’m practicing connecting on the physical-mental-spiritual aspects of my life. I do heavyweight yoga twice a week and sun salutations five times a week. There is an equal balance of gentleness and power in the experiences.
This month I’ve kicked up the body awareness by hiring a personal trainer. I’m in my third week. This morning, Josh had me doing a combination of strength-building activities. In my sweaty drenched delirium, I found profundity in his simple instructions.
“Exhale on the exertion part of the movement.”
I have been working on my breathing in yoga for a long time. Yet, I haven’t paired the inhale or exhale with the movement. I’ve been satisfied that I am breathing. I’m certain that my yoga instructors have always said inhale or exhale to connect the breath with the action. I just haven’t been concentrating on matching the breath and the action. For one, I get inhale/exhale confused. Opposite things always throw me, like; right/left and arrival/departure (especially at the airport). I have to stop and think about which goes with what. And for another thing, I didn’t think it really mattered.
Well, I was wrong. Exhaling on the exertion engages the body in a more thorough physical movement. Although I felt the difference, the concept wasn’t actualized with the elegance I like to exhibit. Josh had me doing this strenuous-coordination exercise. I was laying on my back. I pulled down on these straps (exhale), paused (inhale), lifted my legs (exhale), dropped them (inhale), repeat. I imagined myself as a gymnast gracefully using the still rings. The reality is I’m sure I looked like a marionette having a seizure.
Josh also observed when I hold my breath during a difficult feat, my shoulders are cringing. When I exhale, I release that tension and let the right body parts control the movement. I hadn’t anticipated personal training included relearning the basics like breathing. Even now as I’m typing, I feel my shoulders have crept up. All I needed to do was exhale to bring them down a couple of inches.
Breathing?! What a difference a breath makes. It’s so funny how complicated we make things by keeping them in, holding our breath, waiting to exhale. Just breathe…. Life’s biggest solutions are simple.