One nostril at a time

A few years ago, around this time, I had a yoga instructor named Beeker. During one session, we did a breathing exercise that required us to breathe from one nostril at a time (you can find out a little about nadi sodhana here, it's a really calming exercise). This technique in breathing is a controlled way of doing something that our body does naturally, that is, using one nostril predominantly for inhalation, the other for exhalation; the nostrils change roles seamlessly throughout the day.

When I began this post, I thought about Beeker's exercise because my sinuses were changing shifts: deciding who would be clogged, and who would do the breathing. (It really felt like a changing of the guard, and my brain perked up because it was so excited to get a full dose of air.) This foretaste of freedom reminded me of one of my goals this year: Do one thing at a time, and do it well.

I often find myself frustrated with feelings of being "unfinished", or not as far along as I wish to be. Many times I have to remind myself that it's a good thing to be "unfinished"because if I were done, I guess I'd have the gravestone to prove it. Thanks be to God I'm not quite done.

Having the opportunity to breathe in fully, and breathe out fully reminded me that I really can only take in and put out but so much at one time. There is really only one breath in, and one breath out at a time. I have no auxiliary parts to myself that can function in my stead, so I have every right to take things as they come. Celebrating the moments of full clarity, and appreciating the lessons that times of congestion can teach me. Sometimes those compressed times alert me to how I've taken my usual freedoms and accomplishments for granted.

I wish not to go from issue to issue, but from breath to breath being grateful that I can take it in. And, as the yoga exercise teaches, I can only inhale life, one breath and one nostril at a time.