A breath token is a breathing exploration that I develop for friends & clients and send out as a gift.
Hope
At my local station in Biesenthal is a „street library“ in an old telephone box. This morning, on my way to the train, I spotted a volume of poetry I‘d always wanted to get: „Im Atemhaus wohnen“ („Living in the house of breath“) by Rose Ausländer. There are many poems in this volume in which the subject of breath directly occurs and one of them is called „Hope II“:
“When we hope
we‘re young.
Who could breathe
without hope
of roses opening
even in the future
a word of love
surviving the fear”
I loved this idea that breath comes with hope. I asked myself what I hope for and decided to do a spontaneous breathing exploration. First I asked myself the question “What do I hope for?”, then immersed myself in the thoughts and images that came up and waited for the breath response. I was surprised: my breathing changed throughout the exploration and gradually I felt my whole chest opening up, as if I‘d just openend a window, overlooking a field.
We can do this anytime, anywhere, posed as an open question or more goal-oriented in a particular situation, asking „what do I hope for here?” or “what‘s the best possible scenario?“ Even if it doesn‘t work out, the situation becomes more pleasant and relaxed. If all else fails, we’ve given ourselves a chance and invited our breath in the process.
Benefits I experienced:
connecting with my emotions
freeing around the chest
flowing of the breath
clearing my “inner atmosphere”
inviting the breath
There are surely other benefits for you to discover. If you have any questions or feedback please contact me.
Source: Rose Ausländer, Im Atemhaus wohnen, S. Fischer Verlag, 1995