A fireman was severely injured on the job one day when he looked up and saw a 30 lb stone coming at his face. He didn't have a chance to even put up his hands to protect himself. After 4 years of reconstructive surgery, he still looked like someone who had been severely damaged. Along with his physical damage he was damaged in his psyche. He was depressed and sad that this had been given to him in his life. His depression and sadness showed in his demeanour. He was bowed down. From a side view his body looked like a big capital C. He was sad. His head hung down and his shoulders curved around his chest. He looked like a beaten man, and he felt like one too. Finally the situation in his life left no roads open except to go for counselling. What happened there surprised him. Instead of wanting to talk about how he felt and his injuries and wounds, the counsellor said.' Lets look at your posture. Can you imagine that there is a string connected to the crown of your head and it is gently pulling you up?' The exFireman could imagine that and he let the string pull him up. When he did he felt his spine straightening, he felt his arms hanging naturally from the shoulders. Now, take a big, deep, slow breath, from deep in your belly, let your belly expand, said the counsellor. And the exFireman did , and then he took another big, deep, slow breath, and then another. And then a smile came on his face, at the same time as a tear rolled from his eye. That is the first time I have breathed in 5 years, he said to the Counsellor. It was indeed the first breaths he took in his new life. His body flooded with oxygen filling his arteries and providing life giving oxygen to every cell in his damaged body, and this, over time had the effect of helping his damaged psche to heal. So anyone reading this, you too have been damaged, hurt and have suffered and maybe still suffering. Stop, right now. Check your posture. Are your shoulders curved in like a C, is your spine curved ?
Right now, as you read this, sit straight, tuck your chin in, feel that string gently pulling your head up from the crown of your head. Put your shoulders back and let the arms hang naturally from the shoulders. Then take a big, slow, breath from deep in your belly, hold it for a second and slowly let it out as if you are breathing through a straw , with pursed lips, emptying your lungs. Do this 3 times. You have just given yourself a gift of oxygen. Life sustaining oxygen. If you feel what you think is a tightness in your lungs, That is probably just your diaphram, a thin layer of muscle which separates your lungs from your abdomen, it has probably not been stretched, or exercised for a while.
As you go about your daily routine. From time to time ..... check your posture. Just check in on yourself, to find out how your body is doing. Shoulders back, head held high, you are living a brand new life. A life of being good to yourself. Breathe.
