Healing Touch in Alaska

I had the great pleasure of traveling to Alaska recently. I don't think there's anything as wonderful as seeing wildlife in their natural habitat and Alaska certainly has plenty of wilderness areas where one can view wildlife acting naturally. One of my very special moments was standing on the bow of the ship early in the morning watching humpback whales breech. There were no sounds to detract from the sound of the whales surfacing, taking a breath and plunging into the depths for food. Seeing this on a PBS special is one thing but when you are right there with the whales, watching and waiting, it's a unique experience.

One of our exploration leaders remarked that whales "breathe consciously." The moment they are on top of the water you can hear them blowing out and taking a breath. They use that breath to dive deep, feed and often stay down for up to ten minutes. In reflecting on this I wondered how often I breath consciously. I do it often when swimming . . .knowing that when my right arm goes up to pull my body further in the water I take a breath. If I don't breathe then, it throws my rhythm off completely. Since I swim for pleasure it's OK to mess around and learn how far I can go without that breath. But more importantly, I ask myself if I am breathing consciously at various times during the day. If I get hyperactive for one reason or another I know that to calm myself down I need to take a big deep breath into my abdomen and let it out very slowly. During a Tai Chi class the master teacher always started with proper breathing. That goes for yoga stretches too. But what has stayed with me from that Tai Chi class is a method of breathing that added another dimension to just taking deep breaths. . .

Although the master teacher didn't call it "contemplating your navel" his method reminded me of just that. When you bring the breath in and the abdomen expands, the extra dimension is consciously thinking of the abdomen contracting. So you have this expansion and contraction (in your mind) going on simultaneously. It's a relatively simple technique but oh so powerful. All other thoughts fall away and if they come back into your mind you just resume this "conscious breathing" once again. I've used this technique when I feel anxious or uncomfortable. For example, as soon as I get on an airplane and get settled in I will
begin this breathing technique. Instead of focusing on the chaos around me, I go inside myself. This not only quells the anxiety but changes the entire dynamic of flying. I don't focus on the bumps, the bells, chimes or constant engine sounds anymore. And although I may be uncomfortable for awhile if I am unable to stretch my legs or arms out the way I like to do so, I am in control of my thoughts, my emotions and my breathing.

I am so glad to learn that humpback whales and humans have something very unique in common.