Day 279 – A beautiful quote from Donna Farhi opens today’s reading:  “What is required is not a new artificial way of breathing that lasts as long as ou stunningly brief attention span, but to return to a way of breathing that can be calm and regular, flexible and spontaneous.”  As we get back to the routines of our lives, we crave that calm and regular normalcy that cultivates flexible and spontaneous acts:  genuine laughter (without sarcasm), kindness (without tears), inspiration (without duct tape).  For me that means stepping on my mat each day and doing some kind of practice.

Indeed, Rolf describes this daily practice as “marriage vows to the breath.”  He asks us to return to “even, relaxed, natural breath” many times within the practice.  In cultivating this, we cultivate breath off of the mat as well, and this brings us presence and mindfulness, which (let’s face it) we could all use after Irma.