Breathe
“It’s almost as natural as breathing”
A phrase that I catch myself saying during counseling sessions, only to backtrack and recognize…. breathing…. isn’t as easy as we imagine it to be. So many times have I realized mid-conversation that I just stopped breathing. Words are coming out, but oxygen isn’t coming through. That’s how I’ve been feeling all week long, catching myself holding my breath.
I held my breath when it was announced that jurors were going to read Chauvin’s verdict in 30 minutes. I didn’t even realize it, but then my heart began to race, and I felt anxious. From the past, I was expecting a not-guilty verdict. I was preparing for the thoughts of protests and riots. I was thinking of the Floyd family and his daughter. I was thinking of all the collective breaths that were held for that moment. And the collective exhales of tears and cries from communities who have historically been affected by policing.
I held my breath when NBA legend Scottie Pippen lost his son, Antron, who Scottie says lived with chronic asthma. I was diagnosed with asthma as a child, passed down from my father who also suffers from it. We both have inhalers, and I would actively have to use mine if I got a cold and my lungs would start closing. Countless nights in my childhood, I would stop breathing in my sleep when I was sick, then wake up coughing for oxygen. I remember so vividly my dad carrying me into the bathroom, running hot bath water for the steam to help open up my breathing. I remember him cradling me in his arms, some nights crying. It was a buried memory until this week. I took a deep breath recalling those sleepless nights.
I held my breath as I realized it was my last week as a Master’s Counseling student intern, and that in a few short weeks, I will have my master’s degree. 10 sessions, 10 times I had to remind myself throughout to take deep breaths, even doing so with my clients.
“As natural as breathing” is something I continue to reflect on this week. This week took a lot of intentional breathing, intentional deep breaths, and intentional reminders to breathe throughout the day. So I’d like to remind you all, take the time to breathe today.
BREATHING EXERCISE: Box Breathing
This is a technique that I do with my clients often. It’s called box breathing, and something I picked up in my own personal counseling with my therapist who uses Cognitive Behavioral Theory. Box breathing has been proven to help calm and regulate the autonomic nervous system (Peterson, 2017). Studies show it also helps with generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, and depression. (Mayo Clinic, 2017)
Simply: Inhale (nose or mouth) for 5 seconds (this time can vary to your comfortability)
Hold your breath for 5 seconds (match the original time)
Exhale through the mouth for 5 seconds.
Repeat as needed.
