Samir Shukla
By Samir Shukla
I suddenly realized my breathing consisted of quick short breaths. My thoughts jumbled, my eyes lost focus for a few seconds, and it felt as if the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. It was an ordinary Wednesday afternoon, quiet, low stress, so not sure why this incident appeared out of nowhere.
I gathered my thoughts, sat up in the chair, the spine straight, feet firmly touching the ground, and hands dangling on the side.
I closed my eyes to regain balance, concentrated on my heartbeats, made my lungs a focal point, and then inhaled one long and slow breath. The idea was to inhale as much air, slowly, fully, until the urge to exhale reached its limit, like a balloon fully inflated. I then exhaled slowly and repeated this a few more times until the whole body seemed to be floating just above the chair. The mid-day episode subsided. I felt a brief rejuvenation.
Later in the depths of the night, that point when the clock flips to the next day without a care in the world, I repeated my mid-day breathing exercise. At an age when sleep no longer comes easy, these mindful breaths help ease the mind toward slumber.
We spend much time and treasure to make our minds and bodies stronger. Each person finds his or her means of coping and staying healthy. I have a simple routine that requires minimal external necessities. It came to me in a natural manner.
This routine requires two readily available substances.
These two substances are air and water. My recently evolved morning routine consists of exercises with air and water.
Over the passage of time, without even realizing a routine was forming, a habit has emerged. It is simple and has become a practical and useful path to help soften the grind of life.
Every morning, I do some attentive breathing. Using air, oxygen, as energy, I engage in three long inhales and slow exhales, each separated by a few seconds. After that I grab a glass of room temperature tap water and take three swallows, each separated by a few seconds, being mindful of the flow of that water further into the body.
Each breath of air and each gulp of water marks a single directional point. One is for patience, another for focus, and third for a pleasant temperament.
These achievable yet elusive states of mind are melted into the air I breathe and water molecules that I drink. I find the sustenance for contentment in these two handy and readily available substances.
Three slow, deep breaths. Three gulps of water. This routine to start the day has begun to infuse an energy that is quite helpful as I stroll further down the myriad alleys of life. It helps to ease the maneuvering of relationships entanglements. It forms a force field against the negativity, toxicity and dissonance of our contemporary lives.
Impatience is a global disease in our instant everything digital world. This leads to a lack of clarity and focus. Often the result is an unpleasant temperament and attitude. The first mindful breath of air and the first gulp of water is fuel to increase patience for the day.
A lack of focus is detrimental to all facets of life. The second breath and gulp are to help remain focused, as much as humanly possible, for the day.
Making your temperament joyful for others, and yourself, can help soften even the most toxic, narcissistic, and immature personalities we deal with on a regular basis. The third breath and gulp are for this contagious aspect of our interactions. A grumpy vibe gets passed onto others; a joyous vibe gets absorbed by others.
I don’t know if this ritual makes the world go round, or puts any money in the bank, or if anything else, but it does give me an invisible armor to fight off and manage the externalities, things thrown at me daily and trying to get me off balance. I recall those breaths and gulps as needed throughout the day.
I also follow this routine just before slumber.
It isn’t complicated. Maybe it will work for you. Maybe not. Air and water tagged to mindful disposition makes the basic and elementary aspect of life that we all tackle with, entering and exiting each day, a little smoother.
Samir Shukla is the Editor of Saathee Magazine.
Contact: samir@saathee.com
Twitter/X: @ShuklaWrites
Newsletter: ShuklaWrites.Substack.com
