The Breath Letter #27
Dear Subscriber First Name,
“What’s the movement that your body would like to complete?”
This sentence has stuck with me since I heard it. So simple, yet so effective.
This can be perceived on a micro-level; that little shoulder shrug that simply feels good.
Or at a macro-level: What would a full body unwinding look like, and how would you breathe after?
Or even bigger: If you’d fully hand over your agency to the body, what would like to be completed? Would you take things in a different direction or stay on the same track?
Speaking about “even bigger”, check out these waves at Nazaré, Portugal.
Seeing these surfers on these buildings in motion is something else….
Their secret? The breath!
If they can’t hold their breath for 5 minutes, they’re not allowed into the water.
The Breath
Pretzel Breathing
Let’s do some resilience training!
Sit down and connect to your breath, when it feels nice and calm bring a random movement to the body so that it finds itself in an odd, stretched position.
Anything is ok, could be a more traditional yoga-esq pose or full on pretzel mode.
Keep the position for multiple minutes as you continue to breathe gently.
The main challenge here is to avoid turning it into a fight, the big paradox.
Instead, keep coming back to the word “quality”. What is the quality of what I am actually feeling right now and see if you can trace every micro change in your experience.
Remember, this too shall pass..
The Insights
“Action expresses priority”
A quote by Gandhi that I hadn’t heard before, but it resonated.
Especially in such a knowledge base Western society, with a total information overload, the power in words has seemed to diminish. Is knowing or saying better without doing better truly better?
If we’d purely look at our actions, what would be your priority list?
If I speak for myself, “doing things to the point of overwhelm for no obvious reason” would then apparently be one of my priorities!
We don’t need 100 people, 3 will do.
Since moving to Lisbon this has become so apparent to me. The value of one, two, three closer contacts trumps the endless coffees, one off events and quick check ins.
And looking back, this was no different in London. Our wiring and need for connection is so deeply rooted; it can’t be switched, only numbed and ignored when undernourished.
The Content
Fear Setting
My Tim Ferriss days are long past and suddenly “pop!”, in one week 2 people mentioning the same exercise that had made a huge impact on them from no other than dear Tim.
A pretty simple exercise where you break down your biggest fears, figure out how bad things could really get, and plan ways to prevent or fix them so they don’t hold you back.
Test Your Focus: Can You Spend 10 Minutes With One Painting?
I dare you to try it and see if you can get past 1 minute.
Seriously, try it.
Understanding Stress, Breathing, and Burnout: A Comprehensive Guide
Burn-out is definitely a buzzword. But what does it actually mean, how to identify a burn out and what does it do to your breathing. This video breaks it all down in detail.
Full of the latest research and insights, but also a bit geeky so if you didn’t manage to pass the 1min mark on the previous focus test it’s maybe not for you.
The Experiences
13th of March @ Soma Home- Breathwork & Somatics Session - Stoke Newington
Facilitated by: Jenny
Perfect for those who have some more experience or want to dive a little deeper.
We’ll have 2.5hrs for this session giving us time for more somatic practices and interaction.
At the heart of this session will be exploration, experimentation and the tension between the known and unknown; safety and resistance.
Tickets here
26th of March @ Soma Home - Breathwork Odyssey - Psychedelic Society
Facilitated by: Angeliki
Ready to step away from the daily grind and reconnect with yourself and your body?
Breathwork could be the path you’re looking for.
This session is designed to guide you on an inner journey using the power of breath.
Tickets here
EntryPoints - Breathwork & Somatics Retreat
15% Discount if you sign up with a friend!
More info: here
The Micropractice
Look around right now: What do you see that resonates with you and where do you feel it?
