Isolation Journal Day 24 by Colleen Farrell:
Because breathing is essential for life, it touches every part of our existence. What does it mean to you to breathe? When was the last time you really noticed your breath? What were you doing? Was there ever a time when you realized you had taken your breath for granted?
The human body is a beautiful machine. How each breath gives life to keep this machine going. As an avid practitioner of meditation for 6 years now, breathing has become an essential part of this daily routine of mine. The more I meditate the more I realise how much we've taken our breaths for granted at times, and how truly precious our breath is. And how often humans forget how precious this simple yet amazing mechanism of breathing is. Like today's prompt goes, when was the last time we're conscious of our own breath? And I always try my best to incorporate this awareness to other activities of my day like filling my glass with water, when I look up at the sky and so on.
Even though I've been meditating daily for years now, noticing my own breath every time, one event truly changed my life forever - witnessing death.
Two years ago I lost my aunt and my grandma. It was the first time in my life that I ever witnessed someone dying. As my family members and I surround them, I notice how their breathing slowed down gradually. Until we heard the long beep. And how their chest push the air our for one last time, and not moving up again. Surprisingly it was a peaceful moment to be in, even though we panicked to the nurses, whom we deeply know can never bring them back to life.
As I witnessed that moment, it felt as if all of my aunt's and grandma's life culminated in that gush of air their lungs pushed for the very last time. And in that moment, a lifetime seems so short, yet that moment felt like an eternity to me. Witnessing death has really changed my life. In that moment I realised how truly precious each of our breath is. And how often we forget this blissful fact.
Sometimes when I'm having a bad day, I just simply take a deep breath. And I tell myself.
You're still breathing. You're still here. Keep going.
Take care and stay safe everyone!
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