Breathe!
Oh, hii! It’s been a while! (I know, I know...it’s my fault entirely...we’ll have to agree to agree on that) So...what’s new with you guys? What’s that? A pandemic? What pandemic?
Listen, things are pretty wackadoodle out there right now (I’m sure you’d all agree that “wackadoodle” is the perfect word for it)....I thought I’d take a little of my vast expanse of spare time, and check in with you all! (don’t worry, I’m 6 feet away from my computer screen for your protection…thank heavens I’ve got ridiculously long arms) I’ve perused the list of topics that I’ve lovingly scratched onto the scroll of parchment I keep by my casket, and found one I think is fairly salient for the current situation!
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You know, there’s a tried-and-true, go-to practice that show-folk have been utilizing to great effect for countless generations - it’s called breathing. Sometimes the oldest remedies are the best! And I don’t care if it is a controversial stance - I’m for it! I am pro-breathing.
People who speak, sing, or generally give out a good squawk for a living have to inevitably learn a little something about the breath. Actors and singers spend countless tedious hours and squillions of dollars trying to properly control something that we’ve all been doing quite naturally since we were fresh out of the plastic. However, this go-go millennium does have a way of squeezing the breath right out of us as we conga through life...we’re all subject to a slow, progressive tightening of our various cogs and springs. So, without a little breathing know-how, you can get fairly hoarse and downright disoriented in a hurry (I’ve just decided “Fairly Hoarse and Downright Disoriented” is my new autobiographical cabaret extravagnaza!).
Interestingly enough, breathing is one of those pesky things that performers pay way more attention to on stage than off. You can hold a stirring money-note for a minute and a half in front of 2000 people, but completely forget how to breathe in front of 2 people the next morning at a commercial audition for Cheetos. And why do we forget how to breathe during a Cheetos audition? I mean, c’mon, it’s obviously not the Cheetos...Cheetos are a modern gastronomic wonder! No, we forget to breathe because we’re not where we are. Our attention has left the building. Our mind has gone fishin’. We’re off somewhere else entirely. Usually, we’ve hopped on the train to Self-judgmentville (which is about 2 km east of Self-loathington, along Highway 7). We’re consumed with assessing ourselves as hopeless, generally speaking, and follow that up by assuming the worst about what others are thinking about us, too - landing us smack dab in the middle of a labyrinth of lament. I mean, I’m not a professional travel agent, but if you’re going to go someplace other than where you are, go someplace nice. Like Puerta Vallarta. Or Red Lobster.
The kicker is, we’re often not where we are because we forget to breathe. And we forget to breathe because we’re not where we are. Coincidence? I think NOT (insert dramatical musical sting here). If I were you (which would be ok by me, cause you’re pretty terrific), I’d start with your breath. Breathe, for the love of crackers! Take in some sweet O2! Breathing invites you into the present. And the present is where it’s at! The present is where all the cool kids hang out! (and by “cool kids”, I mean “peaceful, loving, compassionate, level-headed dreamboats”)
Of course, I reference performers because it’s an easy illustration of the central importance of breath. Acting is breath. Singing is breath. Your vocal cords can do all the sweet contortions they like, but it’s breath that carries that precious sonorous cargo to an exhilarated matched set of eager ears. There’s breath in every artist’s brushstroke. There’s breath pushing every writer’s pen. There’s definitely breath behind the creation of a Cheetos commercial (especially there). Every breath you take is simply lousy with creative potential! And much like a raccoon that expertly breezes through every obstacle you devised between it and your garbage - there’s just no stopping it!
And the same is true for everyone. Breath is life. From our heralded first entrance to our triumphant exit, breathing is something we all share in this mosh pit of a world. We all breathe. And the magical effects of simply breathing deeply are the same for one and all!
I imagine, by this point, you’ve surmised why I’m droning on and on about breathing. If there ever was a time to think about breathing, it’s now. Breathe. Use your breath to bring you back to where you are. Don’t obsess about tomorrow, or three months from now, or ten minutes from now. Just breathe and be where you are! Look around. See you’ve got everything you need in this moment. If you’re anxious, do this for every moment for a while, until you start to trust the moment. Because underneath all the terrifying thoughts, you’re okay. Breathe. Come back to where you are. See that you’ve got everything you need for this moment. You’re okay. Relief and calm ensue. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
Now, my apologies if you’re currently tied to some railway tracks, or you’re being chased by a velociraptor - in those cases, you really have cause to be concerned in the moment. But the thing is, it’s not about dismissing your concerns...if you can breathe, and come back to the moment, you’ll be way more clear-headed to deal with whatever you need to deal with. Including a velociraptor attack. Although, if you’re seeing velociraptors, I suspect you may have other, more pressing, concerns.
Everything in this cuckoo, beautiful, madcap world rises and falls. Just like the breath. Pandemics rise and fall. Markets rise and fall. Blood pressure rises and falls depending on the news cycle. Take ten minutes and just breathe. For just a few minutes, let’s try and let go of the landfill of judgments - the bitter thoughts about what should have happened, or the terrifying thoughts of what might come - and know that, underneath those thoughts, you’re just a person sitting in a chair, or lying in a bed, or standing on a cool shag rug, and you’re OKAY. Look around and take an inventory of everything you’ve got at any given moment, and see that it’s all you need. In fact, it’s usually an embarrassment of riches! In this moment. Cause this moment’s all there is, baby! And it’s where your breath is.
I saw a charming meme floating around the social media, saying if all you did today was breathe and get through the day, that’s enough. I think that’s an understatement. Don’t undervalue breathing. Breathing is everything. This never-ending series of snow-days we’re experiencing right now is an opportunity to see that you don’t need to do anything to be of value. You don’t have anything to prove. YOU already have value waaaaay beyond anything you could possibly do. YOU are more than enough. Period. End of paragraph. Hit return button twice.
Listen, be KIND to yourself. Just because you can’t physically snuggle with people right now, doesn’t mean you can’t reach out and snuggle with their beautiful faces or voices or textie bits. Get rid of the thought that you’re alone, ‘cause you are NOT, dagnabbit!!. Kick that thought to the curb!! If you’re feeling squirrelly, REACH the bleep OUT. Honestly. Soon this will all be just another surreal thing we lived through, and will talk about for generations. Like beanbag chairs, or jeggings, or the movie version of Cats.
I love you! Take such good care of your exquisite selves!! I’ll be so annoyed if you don’t!! ❤❤❤