Long, deep relaxed.

That’s the first thing to go about our breathing when anxiety, or fear, or even a simple distraction, kicks in. Or when we’re out of shape.

Sometimes, and for some people all the time, breathing is a physical struggle. Possibly it’s the hardest, most frightening struggle we can have. The fight for air, when air isn’t coming easily.

But for all of us, as long as we have breath, we breathe.

It is perhaps because it is such an innate physical response to being alive, that breathing is often used as a focus of meditation … “just notice the breath”.

Similarly, for someone in a state of panic, a simple solution is holding a paper bag over the mouth, and focussing on the breathing.

Because, perhaps ironically, if we give our breathing a little bit of un-judgemental attention, it often leads to the breaths becoming a little bit deeper and more relaxed. And when that happens, we relax.

We can’t forget to breathe.

But, still …

Don’t Forget To Breathe.