A Note on Breath

🌊 Inhale … Exhale …

Where does your breath land? Is it just in the chest?

Can you drop it a little deeper into the belly… ?

I’m moving out of my childhood home this week. I’m staring at folded-into boxes and a couple dumbbells from the basement waiting their turn to take a ride to storage.

I rummaged through old letters and outdated bikinis, a Bob Marley poster that I swore I’d leave hanging forever so my future kids would know I was still cool. It’d be cooler if I still had my lava lamp to match.

There are memories here, emotions tucked away into this corner, a temper tantrum in that one and a final blissful release in our grassy backyard where I had my first lessons in surrender.

And last night as I was getting ready for bed, I noticed my breath was shallow - only oscillating within the upper quadrant of my chest.

I felt nervous, anxious and a little stressed. This carried into some practices last week too - where I couldn’t quite drop my breath deep enough into my belly to relax into the present moment before the next rep.

Maybe it takes getting into shape. 😅

But maybe, as I practiced last night, it takes a practiced awareness of where the breath is landing.

And this is obvious in the composure that the best athletes in the world carry. Despite changing factors in their external environment, challenging workouts, or a high stakes competition, they return to what they can control.

They return to the breath.

It is the same breath we practice at In Depth Swim Academy events and the same breath that is available for you to practice daily in The Deep End.

That nervousness, jumping into the unknown, and the inevitable stress that shows up at a meet (or while moving out) is within our control to train, practice, embody and enjoy.

Breathe deep, and “don’t worry ‘bout a thing…” ❤️

Love, Olivia