Andy Puddicombe: How Can Breathing Help Us In An Ever-Changing World?
MANOUSH ZOMORODI, HOST:
So when we think about how animal anatomy has evolved over millions of years, it reminds us that everything is changing all the time, sometimes faster, sometimes more slowly. And Andy Puddicombe, our mindfulness expert for the hour, shares a reflection on this very idea.
ANDY PUDDICOMBE: I thought we'd take a moment to reflect on impermanence and how we can use the breath as a way of better understanding, better coming to a sense of peace and ease with change in our life, because everything is changing all of the time. I think sometimes the pace of life and the rate of change can leave us spinning. But amongst all of that sort of coming and going, so long as we're alive there's the breath, and it's a place we can come back to to ground us in our life. I think of it like a - almost like a thread running through the ups and downs of life, a place of stability, of calm, clarity and perspective through which to better see and understand the world around us.
So right now, again, just take a moment. In fact, take one big deep breath, breathing in through the nose (inhaling) and breathing out through the mouth (exhaling). As you breathe out, you can just gently close the eyes. Take a moment to notice how the body's breathing. You don't have to breathe in any special way, but just knowing the more familiar you can get with this rising, falling sensation, the more stability it can provide in this ever-changing life.
ZOMORODI: Stick around to hear Andy Puddicombe once more at the end of the show. We're exploring big ideas about breath. I'm Manoush Zomorodi, and you're listening to the TED Radio Hour from NPR. Stay with us.
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