For years now, I've been a yoga wannabe. You know, one of those people who has all the props to go with a lot of head knowledge, but doesn't seem to make practice a priority. I think there are a lot of golfers out there who would understand. But there is one interesting part of yoga that requires a different type of practice ... breathing. About a year ago I discovered that I hadn't taken a deep breath in about a decade. Perhaps that seems impossible, but the lower 2/3's of my lungs were getting very little use. I would wake in the morning often to pain with my first breath, which indicated that I hadn't taken a real breath for hours. I've had to teach myself to breathe all over again, and I'm finding it a slow road still.
Holding my breath seems so much more natural. When I first started reading yoga websites and books, they talked about taking a deep breath by counting to five on the inhale, and again on the exhale. It took weeks before I could actually make my inhale as long as my exhale. Crazy! When did I stop breathing?
So, if you are reading this ... breathe! Stop, close your eyes, think only about breathing, count to five as you breathe in, and again as you breathe out. Just breathe!
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