10 JULY 2023 THE BREATH

I was recently listening to a guided meditation and I was reminded of how much we take our breath for granted. It is literally the most vital element in our life, without which, we cannot survive more than a couple of minutes. Breathing consciously plays an important role in practicing yoga, relaxing into meditation, and as a means to ease labor when giving birth. If we are anxious or fearful, our breath becomes shallow and rapid; but with a little effort, we can control our breath. We can slow it down and feel its calming effect.

Smell is a large part of our lives that is associated with breathing. Many species whose sense of smell is many times greater than our own, rely on this sense for their survival. In our modern world, many humans have become oblivious to the unpleasant smells that assault us on a daily basis. Cigarette smoke is one of the biggest polluters of our air. It is combined with the unmistakable odors of gasoline, car exhaust, dryer sheets, herbicides, pesticides, and cooking smells from fast food restaurants that permeate our outdoor air. Added to that, are the numerous and often artificially scented smells from products that we use to clean our homes, our laundry, and our bodies. So, not only are we breathing in life giving air; we are breathing in a concoction of potentially toxic chemicals.

Stepping outside for a “breath of fresh air” can be anything but fresh. Here in this rural community, the stench from local cattle ranches is also transported on the breeze. We can add to that the nauseating smell of garbage with meat wrappers and food that was thrown away rather than composted. When we walk into someone’s home for the first time, whether consciously or unconsciously, we notice how it smells. We may have become adept at ignoring unpleasant odors, but whether we find them pleasant or repulsive, or if we do not notice them at all, our need to breathe is essential to our lives.

We can strive to live in an environment made fresh from recent rain or newly fallen snow. We can fill our homes with fresh flowers, which incidentally, produce scent not for our enjoyment, but to attract pollinators to help them produce another generation. We can burn candles with natural essential oils, hang fresh herbs to dry, and open our windows in hopes of letting in some fresh air; but the reality is that we now live in a pretty stinky world. We often have little control over the quality of the air we breathe. All the same, we must breathe, and our bodies will ensure that we do – voluntarily or involuntarily. It is best to accept what is and do whatever we can to cleanse the air in our environment. We could begin by planting a tree.