A Native American breathing technique to calm emotions

When we perceive any situation, be it an activity, a sport, a fight or anything else, it is important to be able to observe without becoming emotionally involved.

When you see someone in a lot of pain, your emotions may want to intervene so you can both cry together; someone who cries with them might help a little, but very little.

You can be more helpful if you are strong enough to lift the person’s spirits and not let your emotions get in the way. It’s called empathy: you put your mind into that person’s situation, but only your mind as you stand in a safe place and try to bring that person to the same point of safety as you are.

There are many, many situations where you could allow your emotions to take over, but you wouldn’t be much help if you did. You can walk past the children’s ward in a hospital where some children are bandaged, some may be in pain, and they look at you with hopeful eyes, “Can you help me?” You look down feeling helpless, but still can’t let your emotions take control.

You can be of more use to that child simply by observing what he really seems to need and gently trying to encourage him and allay some of the fears and pain he feels.

By standing aside, you can provide help, strength, and hope. Get in touch with the One to whom you go with your own problems and ask him to intervene at this time. “If possible, touch this child with your healing hands and if he is within your will, let this child be free from pain and begin to smile and enjoy life.”

You yourself may want to cry when you see this situation, but to be helpful you must become passive. To learn to observe without being overwhelmed by emotions, you can take a deep breath: visualize that you are breathing in power from above to give you strength.

You are not throwing away your emotions, you are not holding them back, they are still there, but you want to be strong enough to do something good for yourself and others.

After inhaling strength, exhale the desire to break down and cry. It will not make you cold or insensitive. It will help you learn to eventually control your own emotions so that you can be of some help.

One of the hardest parts of my training was learning to observe without judgment and emotional involvement, but that’s how you can best manage your own power in a way that you can really help people.