I think we can all relate to the hiccups. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself among the blessed. These awkward anomalies come and go as they please. They don’t care about our well planned agendas. I swear they try to appear at the most inconvenient times; during an important speech, on a date, in the middle of a work meeting or when you finally crawl into bed…..hic!
They sneak into your life and….hic!
It’s hard to plan your words becau….hic!
This is getting ridicu……hic!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH TH……..HIC!????
The beginning of 2017 has been filled with hiccups for me. More so the figurative kind. Life was clicking along at a beautiful, smooth pace and then…..
HICCUP – got sick.
HICCUP – relationships ended.
HICCUP – couldn’t practice yoga for a month.
There have been several other hiccups added into the mix. Each one was not fun. Each one rerouted my focus, forcing me to regroup. When I was in the middle of dealing with the hiccups, I told myself it was manageable. I kept repeating the quiet mantra “This too shall pass” as hiccups usually do.
I won’t lie and tell you I believed myself. My dramatic side would flare as I languished on the couch having my “woe is me” moments. However, each time the effort was made to pause, breathe, and look at the situation objectively, I felt incrementally saner. The ache and pain of the situation remained, but by stopping to breathe, it became more tolerable.
The life hiccups were still there, but I was breathing through them.
As a yoga teacher, it comes with the job description to think about breathing. The practice of yoga can be boiled down to the witnessing and controlling of the breath. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the phrase “Everything we need to know can be found in the breath”. Each time I revisit these words, the more truthful they become.
If the breath is shallow, it could mean stress is present. If the breath is being held, we may be anxious or on edge. If it is smooth and deep, it tends to indicate a calm and centered state. A quickened breath could mean excitement. A slow stream of air might be found during boredom or tiredness. The breath tells us so much about ourselves in the moment.
Hiccups tend to happen when we are tired or overwhelmed. To this day, there is no medical cure for the hiccups. The only thing to be done is live through them. Ride it ….hic….out.
We’re told to drink water followed by slow, deep breaths. Maybe hold the breath for a little bit followed by a long exhale. Funny thing is, we end up practicing Pranayama. “Prana” loosely translated means “breath” or “life energy”. “Yama” can be translated as “control”.
To wit; Pranayama = breath control
The very things we need in life to endure figurative hiccups, are the exact same remedies we need to endure literal hiccups; slow down, breathe deeply, drink more water and chill out! This is not a coincidence.
Hiccups will continue to come and go. I will try to see them as an opportunity to practice Pranayama. Instead of freaking out, I’ll do my best to see them as an invitation to slow down, drink more water, and breathe.
Come what….hic….may.
