Discouraged? Presence will awaken your creativity, and this in turn will restore your courage
Keeping my antennas up for new ways to make my mini contribution to a healthier and happier world, and inspired by my Papi having just overcome a heart attack, the idea of a ‘Breaththon’ once came to heart.
Considering the 26.219 miles I’ve run/walked through four times in this life, I decided that an 8-hour event where people could come and go would be a FUN way to bring breath awareness (free from body aches). Some shared their breathing practices, while others, like Papi, just dropped by to say hello and share a single conscious breath. So sweet and powerful was the feeling of community that we repeated it for a couple more years, all three on Sept. 24, my Papi’s Bday.
Now, did Papi develop an interest in cultivating a breathing practice over those years?
Well, he did return to the swimming practice he had in youth and has earned at least 50 medals from various competitions all over the country since.
So, yeah Guillermo!
Recently, nearly a decade later, and yet another big heart bang, swimming was not in the cards when Papi found himself grasping for air in the middle of the night. Naturally, I was eager to help him get more intimate with the breath, even when not surrounded by a body of water (ie. swimming).
Yet, he remained unimpressed although his heart rate dropped from 100 to 85, after just a few minutes of us breathing together. Unimpressed because he had no desire to do it again and much less consider taking on such a practice.
Yes, I felt discouraged. So, I did the best thing I could do at such times, I got more present with my senses and surroundings. This was when I found a rain-stick lying around and immediately thought — this gadget will perk up Papi’s interest.
Here in his own words the next morning:
“last night something not easy to explain happened… I was having some difficulties RESPIRANDO (breathing)… so I decided to do the pau de água (rainstick) exercise … apparently, by doing the exercise I fell asleep and then I eventually woke up later with no more difficulty in RESPIRAR (breath) .. quite amazing”
So, next time you start to feel that gravitational pull taking you away from your courage, get present!
A new creativity is bound to scoop you up and restore the willingness to persevere.
From breaththon to rainstick, Happy Father’s Day to our Dads,
