…So last night I was taking a spinning class and realized something so interesting to me!  Breath work is everywhere…

…I have been putting up posts in the past about breath work during meditation and how focusing on your breathing helps you stay in the present moment.  I also have written lots on this on my Facebook page or posted many articles on this on Facebook as well.  Breath work during meditation is a way to begin meditation.  You start out by focusing on your breathing.  Each time you get distracted and a thought comes into focus and you realize you are no longer focusing on your breath you very easily, very non-judgementally refocus on your breathing.  You acknowledge that you had a thought and go back to the breath.  This helps the mind stay focused, clear, and calm.  This is the essence of beginning any meditation practice as a beginner…

…So last night I was in a very intense spin class.  The instructor said we were going to focus on strength and endurance.  She told us we would be doing a lot of slow climbing of hills.  It was a great class.  It was very challenging and very fun!  There was a drill during class that I have never seen in any spin class before.  We did a nine minute endurance climb where each time she told us to add resistance we would make it harder to peddle until the point where we could no longer keep our speed.  Once we were unable to hold our pedal speed we were able to stand up.  Then the next time she told us to add resistance, if we were standing, we would take resistance off.  Then the next time she told the class to add, if we just took some off while standing, we would sit back down and regain our speed.  Then we would keep back at the cycle again until we had to stand because we could no longer keep our speed sitting.  It was intense and really fun!…

…But another thing I noticed last night was when the instructor kept saying to “focus on your breathing.”  She instructed us to take deep inhales, each time breathing even deeper into our abdomen than the previous one.  She told us to watch our posture; keep our chest open and our back straight during exhales so that we can fully breathe out.  And I really tried to focus on what she was having us do.  The more and more I focused on my breathing the more and more I was in the moment.  I felt one with my body.  I felt my breath and my muscles.  I felt I was not thinking about what I had to do later or what I was making for dinner or what my dogs were doing at home waiting for me.  I was in the present.  I was focusing on my exercise and my breathing.  So not only can you focus on your breath when you are sitting still, meditating in a non-movement pose but you can focus on the breath in action as well!  You can in essence meditate on the move…

…And I have read about this in one of my meditation books, Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness by Jon Kabat Zinn.  He talks about this in his book how walking, doing laundry, cleaning, etc all can be a meditation.  While I try to focus on one thing at a time lately to be in the present moment, I never really felt I was doing what he was suggesting.  I really focused on walking my dogs.  I was with them and trying not to be a hundred other places.  I really focused on doing the dishes and just was looking at the soap and feeling the plate, etc.  But I did not know if I was doing it right.  Now, with this spinning class and focusing on my breath and feeling my body and being in the present, I understand what he was writing about.  You can really meditate or be in the present moment at any time.  Just get back to your breath and focus on each current present moment.  What a wonderful experience!…

When do you focus on your breathing?  Have you noticed it makes you more present?  What are your thoughts on breath work; either actively through exercise or more sedentary through meditation?  Or is meditation anywhere you are; in any moment you are in with your breath?