Breathing helps ...? Breathing helps!

So far the best thing I have learned from yoga, that I do every day, is breathing.

The deep-throat, concentrated breath has come in handy many times but I can think of two specific incidents.

1) Rabies Shots.  There was a bat in my apartment and it was there overnight and protocol in Boston is you get the rabies shots.  This included, the first time around out of a series of five, immunoglobulins in my derriere.  These are thick liquids.  I got three big ones.  It *really* hurt, I had bruises.  But I got through the actual shots by focusing on my breath and making noise with it.  In .... out .... in .... out .... By the third I was afraid I would scream but my breath helped me.  And sooner than I thought it was over.

2) Thesis Presentation.  I don't get anxious about the presentation, I get anxious about the questions.  It's what I think about DURING presentations.  Tonight, every time my mind wandered, I stopped and took a deliberate breath.  While my actors demonstrated and I was silent, I took deliberate breaths.  And I made it without getting too anxious (or passing out, as another almost did).

So never underestimate the power of the breath.  That is my lesson today.  Another one I keep relearning ;)