Breathe

I'm late, I'm late... Of course I need not ask if you remember the White Rabbit saying that in Alice in Wonderland. I am late, but not for a very important date, but I had planned to get write this blog entry earlier in the month. But then, stuff! Stuff and things! Happenings!

I didn't even know what the title or topic of this month's blog entry would be. I had so many thoughts over the past several weeks. But then, a few nights ago I had an amazing dream. Gah! I LOVE DREAMS! Dreams are another reality. And there was this man in the dream, it appears an Irish shaman, who suddenly was whispering in my ear, "Breathe." (I was probably snoring in Ordinary Reality!) But the dream was so real and so powerful, when I woke up it was morning and I was disoriented for quite a while.

The word breathe seems so just right, right now, on a personal and a wider community level. The message of Dolphin is to breathe. Stop. Breathe. Notice what that feels like. I've been finding time to do just that.

In June I was treated to a weekend retreat right here in Laramie, hosted at The Collective right here in downtown Laramie, WY. On Sunday morning we began with a breathwork session, a really powerful way to begin the day. Throughout the weekend were plenty of opportunities to breathe, and to explore breathing. As someone who has experienced breathwork really just in yoga classes, I found this opportunity to explore breathing to be profoundly settling, grounding. Then I traveled to the nearby Abbey of Saint Walburga, just a half hour south in Virginia Dale, CO. I spent one night and easily could have spent more. So, this month I will go back for two nights. Most of my work is done these days on weekends, so I am giving myself the gift of a midweek "weekend" to walk, sit, read and journal - and even eat meals- in contemplation. While I breathe.

I encourage everyone in these stressful times to take the time to treat yourself to breathing. Of course, we all breathe every moment of every day. But really breathe. Sit. Breathe. And really live.

A stream in the Snowy Range of SE Wyoming