This week has been full of thanks. The only problem I have with Thanksgiving is it seems to be the only time we forgive, communicate with kindness, and mind our p’s and q’s. Why can’t each of us practice this a little bit more? I wish every day was Thanksgiving!!
One particular thing I have focused on this week in my classes is breathing with gratitude. This means during challenges, under pressure, a big obstacle, I find a way to breathe into something that is great. Focus on positive space helps relieve my brain from the negative area in front of me. The challenge doesn’t physically go away necessarily, but my breathe anchors my small reactive self. It helped guide me into a peaceful protest I had internally with someone who decided to put their hand on their hip and tell me their exact feelings about my class. What I didn’t do for them, what I didn’t do period. When I must soak the words up like a sponge, I must breathe deeper and collect myself before I bust out in my old ways. I use to have a short fuse and yoga has transformed the way I communicate with other people greatly.
The student had nothing to say but complain about my class. However, any instructor knows we will have one of these people once in a blue moon. I allowed him to speak without interrupting until a sentence turned into 5 minutes of negative feelings. I place my hand on their shoulder and looked them straight in the eye. I simply asked, “What did you like about class?”
He paused and looked down while I still had my hand on their shoulder. I stayed zoned into this face no matter where his eyes wandered to. His lips pressed together, closed his eyes for a split moment, then looked back up at me. I half smiled with my lips sealed and wrinkled my forehead ever so slightly. As I took my hand off his shoulder he said I really enjoyed your assists. This one sentence turned into a 5 minute conversation once more, only this time in a positive attitude.
It was patience. Listening. Empathy. Seeing someone else’s side and how they felt. The one question that changed his entire perspective, “What did you like?” I do not know what happened before class in this students’ life. I do not know what happened yesterday, last week, month, or year. Instead of taking his feedback personally, I took a breath and found my greatness and strength to shift my vision of his words from criticism to something deeper exposing the negative in his life. My ability to coach other to focus on the good, the available, what IS working empowers my brain to dive deeper into someone else’s way of thinking as well as my own.
I never know what is flowing or not flowing through my student’s lives. This goes for anyone I come into contact with. I have learned no matter the situation personally or not, breath is a constant flow that declutters, detoxifies, and helps de-stress. The 3 D’s I am constant contact with. Oxygen has the power to cleanse away the fogginess physically and mentally creating a clear path for openness and freedom.
I am grateful and thankful for learning the capability, the power, the internal control of my breath…….
Otherwise that conversation could have gone terribly wrong!
To conclude, when I stop breath is when I panic. I start to grind my teeth and choose to struggle. This provides me nothing in return and serves zero purpose in my body. Once one thing goes wrong, everything after that heads the same way unless we choose to stop that. Focus on what is good, what I like, and what is working at that time.
Pause, inhale through your nose, hold the breath. Open you mouth, and let it go. Repeat three more times.
