Breathing for Real

I have never felt this much dread about what is happening in the world. And I have never felt this much inner steadiness.

These two truths live side by side. Sometimes one takes the lead, sometimes the other. Lately, in spite of the heightened chaos coming at us every day, steadiness is winning for me.

That is not accidental. It is a choice.

Not a purely intellectual one, though my mind plays its part. This is a lived choice. I choose to cultivate personal peace. I choose to thrive even as the world feels like it is unraveling.

And I choose this not only for myself. I choose it for our children. For our students. For everyone who is watching how we move through hard times.

They do not need us to pretend everything is fine.

They need us to show them how to be steady when it is not.

They need to see adults who can feel fear and still find their footing. Who can acknowledge uncertainty and still lead themselves back to calm.

We protect them not by shielding them from reality, but by modeling what it looks like to care for our own mental health as a daily devotion.

How do you do this?

Pay attention to your breath whenever you start to wobble.

In.

Out.

That is how we signal to our inner world that we are stepping out of reaction and into choice, back to our steady center.

Awareness of our breathing is not just a tool for managing anxiety. It is a tool to create inner calm no matter what is happening around us.

When we become aware of our breathing, we teach without saying a word. We show young people that self-regulation is possible.

The breath is always present. It asks nothing. It waits patiently.

And when we meet it with awareness, without judgment, we place the wise part of our brain back in the lead. We remember our steadiness, our values, our capacity to care for ourselves and one another.

Remembering is everything.

These are hard times–unpredictable, scary, and relentless. Which is exactly why I return to my breath. Today. Tomorrow. And whatever comes next, I am breathing my way to calm, helping light the path for others too.

To breathe your way to calm right now, check out these videos I’ve created that anyone can follow.