I’ve been tossing around this idea for longer than I’d care to admit: a series or program or email series on creating sacred space. It starts with creating inner sacred space and then moves out to creating sacred space where you live and/or work.

And rather than wait, I am following the whelming feeling that now is the time to at least put some of this information out into the world. So until the Solstice on next Sunday, December 20, I’ll be posting brief or longer winded things you can do to feel more at home in your body and in any physical space your occupy.

Today, we start with breathing.

So often in the rush of contemporary life, we hold our breathe in or out or our breathe is shallow. There is no depth at all to our breathing… it’s just on the surface. I spent years sitting at a desk job breathing like this – shallow and holding my breathe. And in turn holding holding stress within my body.

How does it feel to take a really deep breathe? One that goes down toward your diaphragm, into your belly.

How does it feel to breath down into your toes?

And that exhale, long and luxurious, departing from the reaches of your being. How does that exhale feel?

The inhale is the first thing our bodies does when it is born into this life. And the exhale is the last thing we do as we exit this life.

Your body holds the memory of that first breathe.

Can you feel it?

Can you feel how deep your very first inhale was?

At those times when you feel rushed or at your wits end or the tightness of the world around you, take a deep breathe. Inhale down into your belly. Let the oxygen mix with your blood. And exhale any little bits that want to be released from your body at this time with the carbon dioxide exiting your body.

Start your day with conscious breathing. Focusing on the inhale and exhale.

Start with just a single breathe. The one right now would be great.

And then move to upping it to 3 breaths, 5 breaths, 10 breaths.

How would it feel to consciously breath for 10 minutes or 20?

Feel the release in your body.

Feel the release in your mind.

Breathe deeply.

Just for now.

Just in this moment.

Just breathe.