Just Breathe – Pearl Jam
I’m exhausted. Sleep would be good. Short of that, I remind myself to just breathe.
Before I explain why just breathing is my elixir of choice, let me run down my day.
I spent the day nursing a massive head cold – I slept in, avoided work as long as possible, made one of my favorite old home remedies: grapefruit tea (with an eye on a tequila shot later that night).
In the afternoon, I went to watch my teen daughter compete in a sporting event – a soccer match in the rain. As a lifelong Californian who simply doesn’t take rain seriously, I don’t own an umbrella. Yep, I stood in the rain for two hours. (My daughter’s team won, and she played great.)
At night I attended a lecture given by Silicon Valley luminary Guy Kawasaki (former Apple software evangelist for the Mac, and founder of Alltop. I’ll blog about that next week.)
My saving grace in all of this was hearing a song by Pearl Jam. It was cold and rainy, and I was driving from one place to the next, and Just Breathe came on. Something about this song touches me to the core.
Pearl Jam, Just Breathe youtube video
Maybe because when I’m faced with something I fear or dread, I know I can get through it if I just breathe. If I’m sad or distraught and wonder where and when the happiness will come, I just breathe. If I’m home alone wondering when I’ll have company, I just breathe. If I’m spooning with a lover in bed, I just breathe.
Focused breath is conscious intent. No matter how tired or stressed I get, I can just breathe and things eventually fall away.
I know my connection to breathing is probably different than Pearl Jam had in mind. But it sure was comforting to hear them on this rainy day, when I was otherwise not here and not functioning very well in the world.
Just breathe.
- Tantric Breathing Exercise for Couples
- A New Earth – Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
- Getting Grounded and In Touch Again
- Play the Game of Life
- Sex, God and a Well Hung Prana
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Comment by *Juliette*
| February 5th, 2010
Beautiful song. So much good can come from conscious intent. Thanks for the reminder.
*Juliette*´s last blog ..A New Attitude
Comment by Cece
| February 5th, 2010
Love the song! As a yoga girl…I know that breathing is the ultimate way to allow the body to oxygenate and expand….that type of breath work can be life changing.
When I am stressed out I have noticed in myself as well as in other people, that we hold our breaths. I always joke to myself, “Cece take a cleansing yogic breath!” It always helps.
Cece
Cece´s last blog ..Paper or Plastic? How Many Bags are Enough?
Comment by Ginger Magnolia
| February 5th, 2010
What a great song! I’m wondering how I’ve never heard it before.
Hope you feel better soon.
Ginger Magnolia´s last blog ..Just The Facts, Ma’am (or Sir)
Comment by AngryDad
| February 5th, 2010
i usually remember to just breathe. i had alot of practice though, i constantly had to remind my ex when we were together to “just breathe”, cause sometimes she would forget that she needed to breathe to live. she never had a problem though remembering she had to eat to live….but yea, oddly enough i’ve never heard that song before either.
AngryDad´s last blog ..The Crazy and the Country of Canada
Comment by Travis
| February 5th, 2010
This song reminds me when I was standing at the Continental Divide in the Wind Rivers of Wyoming. I was up at 10,000 feet and I looked down into a basin. I just stood there for about 30 minutes, and within this amount of time the weather changed 4 times, from rainy, to snowy, to sunny and then downpour.
When your that high up the mosquitoes don’t survive, so you have this moment, when your in the mountains where nothing irritates you and you just smell, and see life around you. And for what seemed to be a very long time, I sat quietly and just breathed.
Travis´s last blog ..The Words You Said… Oh… Made Me Weak
Comment by BigLittleWolf
| February 5th, 2010
Focused breathing. A concept I believe in. Unfortunately, it can only do so much.
BigLittleWolf´s last blog ..Parenting is a profession. Where’s my paycheck?
Comment by Andrea
| February 5th, 2010
You should fiind the song called Breathe by Anna Nalick (the live version is fantastic). Very soothing.
I hope you’re feeling better and you don’t get even sicker from the rain! Could be worse – we are getting up to two feet of snow this weekend.
Andrea´s last blog ..Something I haven’t done in a long time: Candid Carrie’s Friday Photo Fiesta
Comment by Mindy@SingleMomSays
| February 5th, 2010
Love me some Pearl Jam. I also have a horrible sinus cold right now – making it much harder to breath than usual. But you’re right, gotta remember to just breath.
Mindy@SingleMomSays´s last blog ..Slackers, Snot & Solace
Comment by T
| February 5th, 2010
Love it. I so enjoy Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam.
Hope you can breathe better soon.
T´s last blog ..Dream. Don’t worry about the details.
Comment by Keith Wilcox
| February 5th, 2010
Eddie Vedder has a much less annoying voice these days. He’s still weird, but at least I can enjoy his music now:-)
Keith Wilcox´s last blog ..A Good Blender is a Good Investment
Comment by Sandra
| February 5th, 2010
I’m a lifelong Californian, and I own 3 umbrellas.
Sandra´s last blog ..Thursday’s Thrust
Comment by dadshouse
| February 5th, 2010
Sandra – can I borrow one of your umbrellas for my daughter’s next game?
BigLittleWolf – I hear what you’re saying, but really, what else is there? Life is but a dream. I love this from the band Tool: Today a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration. That we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. There is no such thing as death, life is only a dream, and we are the imagination of ourselves.
The heart of Buddhist wisdom says that nothing has meaning. Any meaning we attach to anything is an illusory projection of our own mind. Form and action arise and dissipate. We are just observers.
And, so, yeah, just breathe. (No, I’m not on acid today. Haha)
Comment by Nicki
| February 5th, 2010
We’ve had inclement weather for so long, I may have to post pictures of sunshine and blue skies around the place so I don’t forget what they look like. Not typical for NC. Feel better.
Comment by notasoccermom
| February 5th, 2010
Sure hope you feel better soon..
Not sure why I have never heard this song. Beautiful!
Breathing slowly helps you sleep better and calm yourself.
Good advice-
notasoccermom´s last blog ..Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs Robinson
Comment by Pippi
| February 5th, 2010
Use a Neti Pot for your head cold. Feel better!
Pippi´s last blog ..Hello?
Comment by Ginger Magnolia
| February 5th, 2010
Also, you might like this song…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWtZ54DYBdY
Ginger Magnolia´s last blog ..Just The Facts, Ma’am (or Sir)
Comment by krn
| February 5th, 2010
Great song. Most of us could benefit from breathing longer, deeper and slower. Especially those of us that are full time single working parents and students. I’ll take a cleansing breath right now…thanks so much.
Perhaps you could try one of those strips you wear across the bridge of your nose while you sleep? Well, unless you have a female guest over tonight. In that case, maybe try a long soak in the tub together followed by a massage with essesntial oils instead. You could put on the Pearl afterwards. :)
Comment by Kat Wilder
| February 5th, 2010
Hey, Dads, hope you’re feeling better.
Breathing is good.
Seeing something — or someone — that makes you lose your breath is good, too, but you eventually need to get it back …
Kat Wilder´s last blog ..I don’t (heart) Valentine’s
Comment by Erin
| February 5th, 2010
Oh I love love love that song. It is a very touching song, so beautiful and heartfelt.
I hope you get to feeling better soon! It seems like everyone is sick right now!
Erin´s last blog ..From Paris with Love
Comment by TwoChitlins
| February 6th, 2010
Just keyed into your post. Strong words. Much appreciated. Song resounds. What do you do when you are a good father, and your children’s mother is a good mother, but you know the end of a marriage will draw your children far away from you for no reason other than you are not the mother? Continue to do what you speak of, I suppose: breathe. I will certainly return to this blog. Thx.
Comment by Chris
| February 8th, 2010
Yeah, breathing is the remedy buddy, that’s the truth. I took some voice lessons for fun a while back and we did all sorts of diaphramic breathing and it really changed my mental calm, I felt so relaxed in the lessons that I never wanted to leave! Ha, but I took the breathing part of the lessons with me, whenever I am stressed, I just breath, and it really does eventually fall away…it’s science, it has to. :)
Chris´s last blog ..Discount Tire Stores
Comment by Jenny
| February 9th, 2010
Thank you. As I embark upon the divorce trail of life, I found your blog and most important, this song.