{"id":1137,"date":"2013-10-16T04:41:05","date_gmt":"2013-10-16T09:41:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/toppun.com\/blog\/?p=1137"},"modified":"2013-10-15T15:06:13","modified_gmt":"2013-10-15T20:06:13","slug":"poem-breathing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toppun.com\/blog\/2013\/10\/16\/poem-breathing\/","title":{"rendered":"POEM: Breathing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thinking about breathing makes it more difficult<\/span><\/p>\n

Amazingly, and quite fortuitously, people can breathe without thinking.\u00a0 Breathing is something we know how to do without having to think about it.\u00a0 Thankfully, thousands of bodily functions fall into this category.\u00a0 Fortunately, we don’t have to think about digesting a meal, or even know the intricacies of how digestion occurs.\u00a0 Breathing is somewhat special in that it occurs without our volition — and even against our volition if we try to stop breathing — yet we can alter our breathing if we want.\u00a0 Breathing is under both unconscious and conscious control.\u00a0 This is why many meditation experts use breathing as a focus for developing awareness of and harmony between our conscious will and the many natural, well-regulated processes outside our consciousness.\u00a0 Most people who have ever tried breath meditation techniques immediately learn that conscious thought can interfere with the natural process of breathing.\u00a0 Some things are better left alone.\u00a0 This poem is intended to cause reflection in the reader about the benefit of leaving alone these many natural, well-regulated processes outside our consciousness.\u00a0 Humans have a bias toward conscious control of themselves and their environment.\u00a0 The great gift of volition needs to be balanced with a respect for life and nature and its own wisdom, that doesn’t require our will for harmony to exist.\u00a0 Perhaps ironically, willing ourselves to let go of the need to will is often the best solution for us and the rest of life.\u00a0 Of course, adding another few thousand tasks to our do-not-do list can be more freeing than free will itself!\u00a0 May you freely relax into your life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thinking about breathing makes it more difficult Amazingly, and quite fortuitously, people can breathe without thinking.\u00a0 Breathing is something we know how to do without having to think about it.\u00a0 Thankfully, thousands of bodily functions fall into this category.\u00a0 Fortunately, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,15],"tags":[483,400,167,341,481,338,608,446,359,54,379,100,94,502,53,389],"class_list":["post-1137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poems","category-political-and-philosophical-musings","tag-awareness","tag-balance","tag-consciousness","tag-control","tag-environment","tag-free-will","tag-gift","tag-harmony","tag-life","tag-meditation","tag-nature","tag-one-line-poems","tag-poetry","tag-respect","tag-short-poems","tag-wisdom"],"yoast_head":"\nPOEM: Breathing | Poems, Political and Philosophical Musings | Top Pun's Poetry, Funny Puns, Free Posters, Public Health Radio Show! 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