3-Fold Breathing
I was very upset yesterday. I'm not sure the origin of my emotions anymore. It stared with politics, and possible unfortunate futures. I felt dread and uncertainty, as if like the old butterfly in India starting a hurricane in The pacific, every little move I made, every vote, might drastically alter the future for better or worse. But I had no idea which way to flap my wings.
Then Jeff, my mothers SO, returned from the rain to inform us the store was flooding. He was talking flash floods, a perpetual string of ambulances, drowned bodies, etc, and my mother had to go to work in the ER tonight. Now, already agitated by my own strange paranoid brain chemistry of the moment, I became frantic. And as we drove to the store to rescue the merchandise, roads were closed from standing water, an entire gas station was submerged several feet my terror increased. We drained the store which had flooded because a street drain had cloged.
Then we went next door for delicious mexican food. Now Jeff has a special Margarita concoction that he has the restaurant and I ordered one as well. Its basically a tall margarita with the alcohol concentration of a long island ice tea. As I drank the booze I did not relax. Instead my agitation turned to anger at Jeff and my mom who had joined us.
They have been telling me about how someone wants to interview me for a 200K job doing research at a renewable energy laboratory on the other side of the island. When they first mentioned it I told them calmly that I am completely happy with my life and job right now. I would not deviate my path for all the tea in china. But I thought it would be good to offer this person a friend of mine who might want the job instead. I pressured them for dates. "When was the interview?" "Um, I'm not sure, I'll have to look." "What is this job exactly?" "I don't know." The less information they gave me the more I felt I was being manipulated. Finally, we left and I was enraged.
Returning home, I meditated sitting Japanese style facing the large bay window that opens out to the torrents coming from the heavens. I entered into an intense three fold breathing technique session. I started with the lower chest, forcing air into my legs. My anger fueled my intensity. And I switched to my center chest. As I did this the rain increased in intensity. It was a noticeable discrete shift. I breathed even more powerfully. Finally into the upper chest I went with more intensity, and the rain followed me. Now its torrents gushing with furious power. At first I seized on this and thought the heavens were at my command. But that would be a lie. However, when you flow with the Earth and the Heavens, the world unfolds for you. There is no need to fear the Heavens and the Earth any more then there is need to fear your arm or leg.
Then Jeff, my mothers SO, returned from the rain to inform us the store was flooding. He was talking flash floods, a perpetual string of ambulances, drowned bodies, etc, and my mother had to go to work in the ER tonight. Now, already agitated by my own strange paranoid brain chemistry of the moment, I became frantic. And as we drove to the store to rescue the merchandise, roads were closed from standing water, an entire gas station was submerged several feet my terror increased. We drained the store which had flooded because a street drain had cloged.
Then we went next door for delicious mexican food. Now Jeff has a special Margarita concoction that he has the restaurant and I ordered one as well. Its basically a tall margarita with the alcohol concentration of a long island ice tea. As I drank the booze I did not relax. Instead my agitation turned to anger at Jeff and my mom who had joined us.
They have been telling me about how someone wants to interview me for a 200K job doing research at a renewable energy laboratory on the other side of the island. When they first mentioned it I told them calmly that I am completely happy with my life and job right now. I would not deviate my path for all the tea in china. But I thought it would be good to offer this person a friend of mine who might want the job instead. I pressured them for dates. "When was the interview?" "Um, I'm not sure, I'll have to look." "What is this job exactly?" "I don't know." The less information they gave me the more I felt I was being manipulated. Finally, we left and I was enraged.
Returning home, I meditated sitting Japanese style facing the large bay window that opens out to the torrents coming from the heavens. I entered into an intense three fold breathing technique session. I started with the lower chest, forcing air into my legs. My anger fueled my intensity. And I switched to my center chest. As I did this the rain increased in intensity. It was a noticeable discrete shift. I breathed even more powerfully. Finally into the upper chest I went with more intensity, and the rain followed me. Now its torrents gushing with furious power. At first I seized on this and thought the heavens were at my command. But that would be a lie. However, when you flow with the Earth and the Heavens, the world unfolds for you. There is no need to fear the Heavens and the Earth any more then there is need to fear your arm or leg.