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"I am a passenger, and I ride and I ride. I ride through the city's backside. I see the stars come out of the sky. Yeah, they're bright in a hollow sky. You know it looks so good tonight."
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Life is transient. Moments, feelings, experiences, sensations, even awakened awareness is transient. We live in a world where there are distractions that take us away from the present moment we are breathing in. When we look towards nature, especially the seasons of change, we can see the tangible quality of the leaves turning from green, to red, to gold. The falling of the pine needles and acorns, the wilt and decay of the once blossomed flowers. It is a pattern of nature, one to believe in, trust in its return to life.
As the weather patterns churn and change, leaving us in various states of loss or unrest. It is an energy that is so strong, so harsh it can't be denied. Quiet observance, sitting, reflecting, sending support with thoughts, and powering up the fortitude of the breath are tools I use to settle, ground, and bring the scattered pieces back together again.
In an effort to focus more on a clear and present state of mind, there is the breath. With the breath, there is an opportunity to seek new moments in life. Inhale into the present, exhale out the past. The slight pause between inhale and exhale is the state of wonder, the unknown future, without holding on to any expectations, breathe in again into the present moment, exhale out the past. This subtle dissection of the breath can help keep you centered, and assist in the redirection towards the task at hand.
Find a comfortable position, sitting, or lying down. Uplift the spine and support it with a wall or the back of a chair if sitting. Lying down, release the spine along a soft mat or cushion, where the weight of your body is dispersed evenly. Bring your awareness to the breath. Feel the natural flow of inhale followed by exhale. Notice the parts of the body that expand, inflate and fill up as you breathe in through both nostrils. Inhale into the present moment. Now is now. Feel the energy circulate and exhale slowly through both nostrils. The naval sinks down towards the spine as the breath floats up along the spine. Enjoy the warming breath on the upper lip pass out of your body, letting go of what you do not need. The past is gone. Each moment brings a new sensation, a new emotion, a new awareness. Just be here and breathe.
Natural flow of breath transitions into a more focused 3 part breath. As you inhale, the upper chest, rib cage, belly lift and inflate. As you exhale, the active contraction of belly to spine occurs, as the breath flows up and out of the nostrils. As you relax and gain rhythm to your breath, ocean sounding breath, adds an audible layer, a subtle internal vibration enhanced by the inhale and exhale of your breath. Just as the constant tide pulls in and out against the shore, watch the ebb and flow of your mind. Anchor your thoughts by pulling the breath in through both nostrils. Feel the upper chest lift, middle back and rib cage expand, and the low back and belly wide and full of breath. Hold the breath for 1-2 seconds, and then release the breath, pulling navel to spine. As you exhale slowly and completely, gently constrict or close off the back of the throat and redirect the breath up and out through the nostrils. Feel the warmth of the breath on your upper lip. Pause and repeat the process for however long it feels comfortable.
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"We'll be the passenger, we'll ride through the city tonight. See the city's ripped backsides. We'll see the bright and hollow sky. We'll see the stars that shine so bright. The sky was made for us tonight."
Passenger lyrics written by Iggy Pop
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