I had an experience today that prompted me to think about this topic a little deeper than I normally do. I figured, maybe it could be blog worthy. I want to share my experience with breathing. Yes I know, we all kind of have to do it in order to live, but what I’m talking about is a focused, meditative breathing.

Let me start with how “focused” breathing effected me through high school and college. So ever since the fourth grade I have played the trombone in pretty much every school band possible. The times when this focus came most into play was with marching band in high school. Our director started teaching us how to take fuller, deeper breaths in order for us to have maximum controlled sound and volume when playing on the field. Every day started with breathing exercises targeted on filling the lungs down into the diaphragm rather than lifting the shoulders. The type of breath that lifts your shoulders actually cuts down on the amount of air you are pulling in. We were taught also that, not only did these techniques help us produce more and better sound, but also could help us focus and control our emotions.

Jump to today. Seeing as I have a seven month old son, I am tired. A lot. On my way home from work, I began to feel especially tired, tired to the point that I might have to pull over. I thought I might try something. Rather than going into a deep meditative exercise of breathing, I took all of my attention and put it towards the road ahead of me and my breathing. Taking deep focused breaths, down into the bottom of my lungs and exhaling with control began to make me more aware of everything around me. After a few minutes of this focus, I no longer felt the exhaustion I was feeling earlier.

Not only did this make me feel more in control, I was also more relaxed and more able to not worry so much about being tail-gated even though I was doing the speed limit. I had no need to gun it off the line at a traffic light. I had no need to brake hard just so someone couldn’t cut in front of me before a red light. I was more relaxed, more in control, more aware.

All with some simple breaths.