Freddy Zental here – I am speaking to you after colon surgery I underwent last Monday. For the duration of the surgery I was put completely under anesthesia for a couple of hours. When I resurfaced I found myself with a catheter in my bladder and an intravenous dripper for feeding and hydration, antibiotics and pain medication. I felt so out of it, drowsy, dizzy and sick to my stomach. However soon into my hospital stay they also provided me with a breathing device to assist in strengthening my lungs after the artificial breathing support with a tube during surgery.
There was nothing of the usual distractions – like food, walking around, talking on the phone, being on the computer, working out. Taking moment by moment I went inside. For 24 hours I kept focusing on my breathing expanding my belly as much the stitches in my colon and belly allowed. That kept me present. The breath was my bridge between my body and my soul, between the physical pain and staying peaceful.
Within 24 hours I was up and walking – with my machinery of feeding and pain killing devices on my arm – down the corridor of the hospital floor. The walking and the conscious breathing kept my circulation going.
Something that might seem horrible, painful and confining showed up for me as coming to peace in myself no matter the circumstances. The breath once again saw me through. I returned to stillness.
BREATHING PRACTICE
Here is a breathing practice I do frequently by myself and teach in my private sessions and group workshops. I am offering this to you so you can come back to stillness and peace within:
- Sit comfortably on a chair or a cushion on the floor
- Place your right hand on your abdomen on the navel area
- Take in a deep breath and let your belly expand into your hand
- On the exhalation notice the falling of your belly
- When you are ready take in a deep breath again notice your belly expanding into your hand
- Exhale deeply and feel your belly falling and letting go
- Continue in this pattern of breathing for 15 – 20 breaths
- Then remove your hand and follow the wave of your breath coming and going - notice your belly rising with the inhalation and falling with the exhalation
- Stay with yourself for a moment longer and notice how you and your body feel now
Write us at tantranova@tantranova.com with further questions or thoughts on the breath, how it works and what difference it could make in your life. For further info on TantraNova go to http://www.tantranova.com
