Take a Breath-It’s the one thing you CAN control.

Alright, today we are going to start with a little game…it’s called guess that topic. I’m going to give you some clues and I want to see if you can guess it…are you ready? It’s ok if you aren’t.

Our topic today is probably one of the simplest things we can do, yet it can be so hard. 

We can lose it when we are happy, excited, sad, and anxious and can find it in the calm and peaceful. Some people spend their whole lives trying to find it, yet it is something we already do and don’t even have to think about. Many times when we are anxious it goes away. Our body does it naturally, but our swirling minds can cause it to be lost. 

Do y’all know what I am talking about yet?  Ok here is your last clue…I want you to inhale for 3 seconds, now exhale for 3 seconds…one more time…inhale…exhale…What is it? OH YEAH! It’s called taking a darn breath! 

Sometimes, we forget to take conscious, deep breaths amidst our hectic lives. I’ve been there, especially during my days as a teacher. Rushing around, trying to meet all the demands, I’d forget to breathe properly. But guess what? Taking a moment to breathe deeply is crucial. It’s the one thing we can control in our day.

Research supports the benefits of deep breathing, especially in the workplace, where stress and sedentary lifestyles can lead to health issues like cardiovascular disease. Also, if you are a nerd like me take a look at the research from “The National Library of Medicine.” So, why do we neglect something so vital? Balancing life’s demands can be overwhelming, but taking a breath is essential for our well-being.

I urge you to give yourself permission to pause and breathe. It’s a simple act of self-care. To wrap up, I’ll share a poem I wrote during a moment of panic, emphasizing the importance of breathing. It’s called “Breathe.”

It's for moments like this
Moments that I need a reminder to breathe
Not on days off 
Not in moments of zen
Moments that consist of chaos
Moments that consist of waking up with weights on your chest 
Moments when you cycle through all you have to do and your mind is telling you that you can't
Breathing is for moments when you aren't given a seat at the table
Breathing is for moments when you pull your own seat up to that very table
Breathing is for moments when you step into a room in which you don't feel worthy
Breathing is for moments when you realize you are worth another day
Breathing is your gift
Its free
It's that vacation from your swirling mind
Breathng is that action that enables you to be alive
To show you who is boss over your own body
You are allowed to breathe
It's when you step into suck 
Its when you step into scary 
It's when you step into hard 
That you realize with a simple breath that you are indeed ok
It's a reminder that you will be ok
You by yourself as a whole human have a right to take up space in a room
but before you enter
You must breathe and create space for yourself to enter.
It is you who are whole
You can put one foot in front of another. 
Breathe in all that you beautifully are...
Breathe out the thoughts of untruth
Never forget that you control the presence of your breathe 
You have a right to inhale
You are allowed to exhale. 
.