Life Lessons from Pets 4: Breath
This is part 4 in a series of articles about the wisdom that animals bring to humanity. We’ll dive into a couple lessons I feel are super important for humans working through what we are on this planet. We could all use some more wisdom of the animals. Click here for Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
To recap from last week: Being present is the only way that animals know to be, and it really is the best way for us to be. It’s a practice, but when we do it, it can reduce anxiety and stress.
Lesson 4: Breathe
How is something so essential so easy to forget to do??
Really, why do you think it’s so easy to forget to breathe? I don’t know how many times I have asked my riding instructor this over the years. Somehow, something that is a requirement for remaining alive is easy to NOT do effectively.
This happens for our pets too. Not breathing is a big red flag. It sends a signal that things are not safe, there is something to be afraid of, take caution and to look out. Predators don’t breathe before they pounce on prey. Imagine how it feels to be a horse with a human on your back not breathing… yikes!
Deep breathing has so many benefits to our well being that we could radically change our lives if we simply put it into practice consistently. There is a lot of research out there about the benefits, so I won’t go into here. If you are interested, check out anything by Wim Hoff.
One way I have learned to remind myself to breathe is to take a cue from my pets and animals. Any time one of them breathes deeply in and sighs back out, I do the same. Sighing is a great thing for your body too. Sighing releases tension and oxygenates the blood, which improves clarity and mental focus, bringing you back to the present moment in your body. If you want to go deeper, you can add an app to your phone, or use a calendar reminder, to send you a notification frequently throughout the day with a note to breathe deeply for a few moments.
Putting this into practice will have your pets giving you a sigh of relief!
