A Healing Breath Walk
There are many ways that breath can be used for healing self and others. Here's one that presented itself on the five-day wilderness backpacking trip I returned from late last night.
While walking in the gorgeous setting of the Superior Hiking Trail, I noticed how clogged I was with mind chatter -- judgments about my heavy pack and the steep terrain (not to mention my physical condition), regrets about what I did and did not bring, worries about my daughter, Marisa, who is in the midst of an arduous and challenging wilderness adventure that makes my hike seem like a stroll in the park.
Looking for another way to live in that moment, I invited attention to my feet and to my connection with Mother Earth. On the in-breath, I opened to her loving presence and drew in her healing energy. On the exhale, I released the density of judgments and worries into the transformational "compost heap" of the universe.
As the clogs began to clear, I found myself exhaling and sending forth the same nourishing energy I was receiving. It's a bit like the way water clears, after it runs for a while through rusty pipes.