Do you ever feel stuck because you don’t have it all figured out or know exactly where life is leading you? Or perhaps you can hear your soul calling and see all the steps you need to take, but that feels completely overwhelming to you?
Whenever I feel that way I have a five-word mantra that immediately calms and comforts me:
One breath at a time.
As humans, we crave certainty and this often causes us to stagnate and stop moving forwards, either out of overwhelm or fear.
But you don’t need to have it all mapped out. You don’t need to know every single step along the way. You just need to take the next step on your journey. That’s it.
Great big leaps will only land you in fight/flight mode.
So, start really small. Baby steps. Bite-sized. Like one of my favourite artists, Tori Amos, sings: “First my left foot, then my right, behind the other”. Do one thing every day. Or break things down into doable tasks. Start where you are and begin building in a consistent way.
This brings you right back to the present moment, instead of projecting yourself into the future, which can make you feel anxious if you let yourself live in that space all of the time.
Taking action is the antidote to anxiety, and from that, comes clarity.
One breath at a time.
Just like in yoga, the breath initiates movement. The inhale is a moment to check in with your emotional state when you’re at that metaphorical fork in the road. To access your greatest source of empathy, creativity, truth, intuition and spirit. The exhale guides you to the next step.
Of course, you can choose to ignore your inner wisdom, but that’s when life starts to get hard because you’re relying on your own strength. If you listen and let yourself be guided, you’ll find yourself on the easiest path to your purpose and your dreams.
You may have heard that quote: “fear is just excitement without the breath”. Let this mantra be your reminder to breathe so you can keep moving forwards. And you always have full permission to take a step back tomorrow if needed!
I’m going to guide you through a simple breathing practice now to help you embody that mantra and, when you’re overwhelmed, bring you back to the present moment - where all of your power is.
If you can, get comfy and close your eyes.
Notice what feelings are coming up for you.
Feel them fully.
Slow your breath to ease the momentum of your thoughts and energy.
One breath at a time.
Breathe in and visualise your diaphragm moving down to expand the capacity of your lungs.
Pause at the top of the breath.
Breathe out and visualise your diaphragm moving up to squeeze all the air out of your lungs.
Pause at the bottom of the breath.
One breath at a time.
Allow your mind and heart to clear.
And when you’re ready, let that breath go, so your body’s just breathing for you, and open your eyes to the room.
Let this breathe some calm and comfort into you - so you can take those baby steps and consistently move ahead.
Thanks so much for listening! If you’re ready to go deeper, I have a free mini yoga retreat waiting for you over at pranapatchouli.com/retreat. It’ll help you find emotional ease, fill up your cup and follow the whispers of your soul. *Deep exhale*. All you have to do is head over there now and enter your name and email for instant access. I’ll be back next week with a brand new episode, so until then, from my heart to yours, Namaste.