The Simple Sigh

A few days ago I noticed myself sigh. I'm sure in the past I sighed a lot and was totally unaware. This time, I felt a release that came with it. It felt like I let go of something stale, old and unneeded. I liked how that felt.

I imagine my new sigh awareness comes from Yoga. Sometimes the class is instructed to take a deep breath and then to let it out with a sigh. Doing that letting go thing with a roomful of people feels especially good.

My old understanding of sighing went along with being bored, impatient, wistful, melancholy and as an expression of relief . I'm sure sighs with those experiences do help in some way, yet I find myself wanting to widen and better appreciate sighing.

When I actually imagine that as I let out my breath in a sigh I am actually being cleansed or prepared for a new breath, I get kind of excited. A sigh is not a throw-away breath, but one that is being let go of with appreciation. Whatever the cause of the sigh, I'd like to believe that it is serving me in some way.

If it was boredom, then I can wake up to create something filled with aliveness. If it is impatience with someone else, it reminds me to make room for understanding. If it is a wistfulness or melancholy thought, I can gently let go of the old with full appreciation, as I fill myself with new possibilities.

Yeah, I like this new awareness of the simple sigh. It doesn't take any special skill....it's just breathing with intention. Sigh.