Breath

Jam packed roads, advertisements left and right, different jobs/hobbies, news, social media...

Everywhere we go, with everything we do, there are countless things that demand our attention. Even if it's just on a subconscious level. And with all those attention seekers, it's getting harder and harder to just be present and actually be in the moment, instead of being stuck in one’s mind.

Humans adapt to almost everything. That's what makes us survive - the ability to adapt. Therefore, we also get used to this constant overstimulation. For most people it's completely "normal" to have the TV running while eating dinner. It's completely "normal" to turn on music or some other form of distraction as soon as there's a quiet place. It's completely “normal” to do multiple things at once. This comes at a price though.

Since we adapt to the bombardment of information that reaches us every day, we find it hard to be concentrated on one single task. Furthermore, basic tasks and activities can feel boring and lame, just because we feel under stimulated. When was the last time you enjoyed a simple cup of coffee? Just coffee, nothing else. No one to talk to, no smartphone, no radio. Just the taste of coffee and yourself.

See, the thing is it's not that the simple things - like a cup of coffee - can't make us happy, it's much more that we've unlearned how to take in what they actually have to offer.

If you're looking for beauty in life, you're going to find it.

Let's stick with the coffee as an example. Our mind is spinning around the most diverse topics. So much so, that we totally miss out on the experience this particular cup of coffee presents us. Instead of being present and taking in the smell and feel of the warm cup we settle for being in our mind and thinking about some trivial matter, that most of the times isn't even worth thinking about. And that's where it gets problematic.

Since we lack the ability to focus solely on a single task and to enjoy the simple things, we miss out on a lot of beauty this world has to offer. But we all had that ability once. The ability to be fascinated by the simplest things. Just look at little kids. They spend hours and hours playing with the same toys, without losing interest. You hand them a piece of paper and a coloured pen and they’re occupied. Unfortunately, we lost that childish curiosity somewhere along the way.

Now this shall not sound like a call to behave like a child again, it’s more a call to regain our ability of being present and enjoying the moment with whatever that moment holds in store for us. Being present not only allows us to experience life more profoundly, it also enables us to tap into our full potential. Most artists and athletes are familiar with Flow State. It’s almost a Zen like state, where your mind is quiet, and you’re completely zoomed in to your task. Time seems to fly by. You don’t think about doing – you just let your body do it. People call it “being in the zone”. And if you’ve ever experienced Flow State, you know how powerful it can be.

Our thinking mind is powerful and important, but as important is the connection to our body. And for some activities or in certain situations, it hinders you if you use your mind. Instead, you have to be present and just “go with the flow”. See, in certain endeavours there is just no time to think. You have to react immediately. In boxing, if one thinks about slipping a punch while it’s been thrown at them, guess what? They’ll get hit. But if one practised that movement over and over again and is present enough to let their body do what it’s capable of, they’ll be able to see the shots coming and evade them with ease.

Author Steven Kotler defined Flow (the Flow State) as: “an optimal state of consciousness where we feel our best and perform our best”. I like to think of the Flow State in one word: authenticity. Think about it, once your mind is quiet, you’re completely zoned into your task and there are no more outside distractions, what’s left? Only you. There is no more time to think about how to express something, you just express it. And from my point of view that’s one of the most honest expressions you’ll get.

But the Flow State is only one example of the benefits of slowing one’s mind down. There are several proven health benefits, physical as well as mental, of being mindful. Being mindful can happen in different ways, it could be meditating, going for a walk in nature or just having a cup of coffee. In the end it’s all about being present.

“Do you have the patience to wait

Till your mud settles and the water is clear?

Can you remain unmoving

Till the right action arises by itself?”

- Lao Tzu

Lao Tzu compared our mind to a river after a storm. When dirt is stirred up and the water is all muddy it’s impossible to see the ground. But with patience, the water will get clear eventually and it’ll be easy to see the bottom. Same thing goes for our mind. If we’re caught up in a thought or a situation, it’s difficult to think straight. Only after it settles down and we calm down, it’s possible to think straight again.

So, why do we get caught up in our thoughts in the first place?

There’s a number of reasons, we could be worried about something in the future, regret something in the past, question a decision, the possibilities are endless. What it boils down to a lot of times is the fear of being uncomfortable or much more trying to avoid being uncomfortable. But what if we cultivated being uncomfortable (in healthy and controlled ways obviously)? Then we could get comfortable with being uncomfortable and therefore have a tool at hand to calm ourselves down once our mind starts spinning.

Another useful tool, if not the most useful tool when it comes to calming the mind is….

Our breath. Yes, simple as that. Conscious breathing allows us to bring ourselves into the present moment and therefore get out of our minds. Just think about it for yourself, what do you do right before you do something, you’re afraid of or don’t want to do? You take a deep breath with a strong exhale. But you don’t have to be in a stressful situation to use this. If you notice your thoughts going out of control, take a conscious breath and be aware about it. That helps to break the pattern and brings you right back to the present. Apart from that, our breath is what keeps us alive. Therefore, every single breath is something special. Yet we don’t pay attention to most of our breaths. But ask yourself, if your next breath would be your last one, would you enjoy it?

When confronted with difficult situations it’s easy to fall into a trap of overthinking. Our mind can go crazy with us. But does that help? Maybe sometimes. But more often than not it’s keeping us away from the present moment. For some reason we think that as soon as we feel “bad” we have to do something about it. No. That’s part of life. There are situations that require immediate action. Most of the times though we can afford to lay back a little bit and just wait. Let everything settle in and let the mind slow down. Of course, it’s not a good idea to get caught up in it, but rather than distracting ourselves (with technology, alcohol or whatsoever) to not feel the emotion that’s bothering us, we could actually do the opposite: trying to be still and slow down. That’s when we can realize what this particular emotion wants to tell us.

Remember? It’s only when the mud settles that we can see clearly.

So to sum it all up, our mind is a powerful tool. But sometimes it’s necessary to be in our bodies instead of mind. This not only allows us to perform better but it also gives our mind a break, which leads to more clarity and calmness. With today’s distractions it’ getting harder and harder to be present, but it’s our responsibility to make that a habit again. Since that’s where life actually takes place.

I hope you could enjoy my little take on this topic, and I appreciate you taking time to read this!

Stay fabulous,

Fabian.