THE POWER OF BREATH
Photo credit @Mark Gribbon
The search for meaning begins exactly where we are. The best way to begin being present to what is unfolding in life (or straight in front of you on the slope), is through the breath.
Step 2 : in the beginning is the breath.
Being mindful of your breath gives you a way to clear your mind, pay attention, and find your balance. When you notice the act of breathing, you have the chance to relax body and mind, and become grounded in the present moment.
A lot of you in the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/theconfidentskiersclub have mentioned in the membership questions wanting to be in control. In control of the turn, in control of the speed, in control of the descent. And some of us have no idea what it is they want to be in control of. Control freak anyone ? (look who’s talking…). The truth is, control starts in your mind with conscious breathing. Do you pay attention to your breath when you are in a tricky and uncomfortable situation ? It all starts there ! Which path are you following ?
- There are numerous benefits of breathing properly :
- Breathing deeply puts you in the present moment and gives you calmness. The sense of natural flow will soon manifest itself.
- Breathing deeply stimulates the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system in the human body, the vagus nerve, also called the “love nerve” because it produces the neurotransmitter oxytocin. It’s definitely time to love yourself at the top of that serious run ! The vagus nerve also allows us to access the part of the brain responsible for complex decision making. Remember that when skiing, we are constantly making decisions and we have to make them in split seconds.
- Breathing gives you clarity and faith, it clears your mind to embrace all the possibilities. Readiness for what is to come, regardless of the slope and the conditions. With an open mind comes flexibility to use whatever tools and tactics your intuition will come up with. Let it be. Plant the right seeds, nourish them to become full-grown plants. “I effortlessly and effectively ski that run”.
- Breathe to be aligned. Breathing deeply opens your posture and aligns and connects your brain, your spine and your heart to your feet firmly anchored in the ground. They work together as one allowing you to embrace the gravity and perform the skiing movements in motion with flow. It will give you certainty and confidence.
- Breathe to be centered. Be aware of your energetic center (called Dan Tien in Chinese martial arts) and breathe into it. Visualize a red marble in your inner core. Connect your mind to it and move with it. It can even give the strength of breaking a brick with your hand. Moving on your skis from center is powerful, efficient and fluid.
- To sum up, breathing will have a powerful effect on your life and especially on your skiing experience. It will help you start shifting from “Yikes!”, “Oh my God I’m gonna die!”, “I can’t do it”, “I will not do it” to “I’m willing to give it a try”, “I’ve done this before”, “I can do this”, “I’ve got this” and “I can nail this”.
Photo credit @Antonio Guillem
Ready to go, grow and glow ? Start practicing today these jedi tools brought to you by the Ski Yoda and add this powerful breathing technique before your next ski trip :
Join us now on the private Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/theconfidentskiersclub and let us know how it worked for you next time you hit the slopes !
