Dear Circle of Hope,

There are so many parts of life’s experience that happen automatically. Many of us move through time often not even realising how we have travelled. Have you ever driven somewhere and arrived realising you don’t even remember the trip? Our beings often unconsciously go into auto pilot and things happen without conscious choices.

One of the great mysteries of life can be found in the unconscious act of breathing. From our first breath to our last, we are automatically part of a rhythm that continues without thought. A rhythm that keeps us alive. There is life in every breath. As a brass musician, vocalist and lap swimmer I have often been intensely interested in and aware of my breathing, as the intake of oxygen and the combination and intention of lungs and diaphragm are all so important to these pursuits. But what I have come to discover more recently is that when we tune into our own breathing, magical things happen. Conscious breathing enables us to engage with our wellbeing on a deep level. We become more profoundly aware of our feelings and our bodily response to our current experience of life in that moment.

A conscious approach to breathing can be a powerful tool as a source of refocus for our day. As we breath, we can inhale grace and exhale gratitude. By this I mean that as we breath in we can pause to be aware of the grace and blessing of life itself and as we breath out we can be thankful for this gift. Inhale - grace, exhale - gratitude. This simple exercise allows us to tune into our deeper being and can reset us in key moments on our daily journey. We can explore adding other elements of grace and gratitude in this practice. So why not pause for a moment. Place your hand on your heart centre. Breathe in grace and breath out gratitude. As you engage in this practice may you be consciously aware of who you are in this moment, your connection to the world around you and the Divine spark that lies within your being to enable such magic and wonder to occur throughout your life journey. May you remember that there is life in every breath.

Thank you for being part of our Circle of Hope.

Grace and peace, 

Phil