I Love Myself

The Breath Between the Noise

A Slow Practice Emerged

This October will mark three years since I moved out of the Bay Area and landed in the Central Valley.

It will also mark my third sober birthday.

Sobriety changes many things, but one of the biggest shifts for me has been learning how to calm my nervous system without chemicals when the world gets loud.

And right now, the noise is deafening.

Headlines. Arguments. Predictions.
Everyone asking what happens next.

I’m not a guru.

But I’d like to share something simple that has helped me reset when the noise becomes too much.

Conscious breathing.

I would also love to hear how others decompress from the noise of the moment, because we all need ways to come back to ourselves.

Mine is very simple.
So simple it almost sounds too basic.

There is a practice sometimes called the Breath of Life. Some traditions connect it with Merkaba breathing, a meditative practice that uses rhythmic breath, mudras, and visualization to calm the body and focus the mind.

What I do is very much tailored for beginners. It was one of the first techniques I learned, and I must admit it works every time.

It took a little practice and patience.

Quiet affirmations spoken inwardly:

I love myself.
I trust myself.
I honor myself.
I value myself.

Some days this requires more practice than others.

On the days when the world feels especially loud, I slow the breath down.

Seven seconds to inhale.
Hold for three seconds.
Then release the breath slowly into the heart.

When I exhale, I imagine the breath weaving itself into my heart, into the center of my being. Some people would call this the heart chakra. I’m comfortable with that language.

This practice became part of my life several years ago when I made a decision to change.

To change my life.
My thinking.
My perspective.
My level of toxic behavior.

It has been a ten-year journey.

The last few years especially have felt like a spiritual awakening, one that is still unfolding. I am still growing. Still learning. Still imagining the life I want to live and the world I hope we can build together.

I believe something simple.

If human beings can collectively pour so much negativity into the world, then we also have the ability to pour something else into it.

Intention.
Compassion.
Clarity.

Sometimes the smallest practices help anchor that intention.

You can write your affirmations on your mirror with a dry-erase marker.

When you pass by during the day, pause for a moment.

Take a few breaths.

Not for productivity.
Not for anyone else.

Just breathe for yourself.

And if you have a practice that helps you step away from the noise, I would love to hear about it.

Because right now the world may be loud.

But we still get to decide how we meet it.

Take care of yourselves and stay well.

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