Recently I spent some time with Tom Crum and his daughter, Alia. Tom’s a good buddy of ours and is an Aikido expert. He wrote a wonderful book called Three Deep Breaths. I think I probably have shared these at some point but they are worth repeating… You know, as you head off any day in the car – I think the car is a wonderful place to quiet yourself if you don’t listen to the radio.
The first breath is the Centering Breath – you just breathe in, into your center right below your belly button. Just center yourself and feel your breath.
Once you have really centered yourself, then the next breath is your Visionary Breath. The vision is the best you that you can possibly be for that day, no matter what you’re doing at work or at home or in the neighborhood or the community—what’s the best you that you can possibly be?
After you do that, then take what Tom calls a Discovery Breath, which means to be open to learning. Be open to getting new information, don’t be defensive. Make the day a challenging and wonderful day.
So what a wonderful three breaths – the Centering Breath, the Visioning Breath, and the Discovery Breath. That can settle you before a meeting – do those three deep breaths – or before anything that you’re going to do. So center yourself and then be open towards things.
Take time to breathe and get yourself centered and visioned and discovered. Have a great week!