Remember To Breathe

     Sounds like a silly reminder, right? You are always breathing. You breathe day and night. In and out. After all its one of those involuntary body functions, so why do we need to remember to breathe?
Think about a time when you are doing something difficult or scary or dangerous, something requiring great concentration. If someone said: "Breathe," you might find that you had been holding your breath.
Breathing helps you to relax, supporting your efforts to concentrate and focus on the task at hand. It brings your consciousness to the present moment, heightening your awareness of what is happening around you and inside of you.
     How do you remind yourself to "breathe?" One exercise to try is this: when the phone rings, stop and take a breath, or take two. Say to yourself on the in-breath: breathing in, I am breathing in. And on the out breath: breathing out, I am breathing out. Then answer the phone. See if you don't feel calmer and more focused, ready to give your complete attention to the caller.
     Whether you are endeavoring to solve a complex problem, in the midst of an arguement, or in the presence of your small child's smiling face, bringing your attention to your in-breath and then your out-breath will also bring your attention to that which is in the present moment-right in front of you.