I was listening to an interview by Yuval Noah Harari a few days ago. There was a lightning round at the end of the interview when he was asked several fast questions and was supposed to answer them with one phrase or one sentence only. I am outlining three of the questions and his answers here to become the impetus for this piece:

• What is the best way to stay grounded in the modern world?
  • Stay in touch with your body.
• What advice you have gotten?
  • Observe your breath.
• What advice you have given?
  • Observe your breath.

We have been ingrained with the separation of the thinking mind and the functioning body in the West. The general consensus is that the consciousness and the analytical mind reside in the brain and don't have much to do with the body to function correctly. We have been using terms like "braindead" to describe a functioning but non-conscious body to be even more precise about the separation of the mind & body and to indicate that the physiology of the body doesn't really have much to do with the health of the mind. However, in Eastern philosophies and, more specifically, Chinese Medicine, the brain is pretty much just another organ with a task like all the other organs of the body. Its task is quite essential but, nonetheless, still just an organ with a function that, in combination with all the rest of the organs, maintains a well-functioning body. There are no separations of mind & body, and the general belief is that the same level and quality of consciousness is present within all the cells of the body, regardless of where they reside or what is their physiological function.

Now, let's go back and try to unpack the brief answers that Yuval provided: stay in touch with your body and observe your breath. These are phrases that most of us have heard in the past, so there is nothing new here, but I would like to invite you to visit them a little more closely. Staying in touch with your body is great advice for modern times since the 21st-century digital connectivity lifestyle provides more opportunities to be less grounded and farther apart and disconnected from our bodies. Therefore, it is now becoming a conscious effort to recognize that, stay connected with nature, and observe our bodies as a living part of that greater macroorganism. This was far easier to obtain in the past since people had to work physically with their hands and usually with organic elements from this plant and many times, spent a large part of their days outside. They had to be more attuned to their senses to survive and had to be more grounded and present at the moment to make wise decisions in relation to their surrounding environment. The modern Western lifestyle afforded us the luxury of having so many layers of protection at our disposal that even when we are outside. We can easily get from one place to another while driving and talking and listening to music all at the same time. My point is that modern life has created more distractions and ways to be less involved with our daily experiences.

But one might ask, what does being more in touch with my body mean? Aren't I already connected to my body in order to be alive? What exactly is he talking about by staying in touch with your body? I believe Yuval is referring to the value of being present within our bodies. That means cultivating a deeper sense of awareness of the physicality of the body and its connections with the surrounding world. And to also be more sensitive to all the senses that coalesce our perception of consciousness, and the connection that our body has with this planet and all the other beings on it. It can also mean being more conscientious about and attuned to (be deeper in touch with) all the complexity our body manages in every moment. The very small and precise movements and adjustments of the muscle-skeletal system to keep us balanced in any position, the sounds entered through our ears and vibrations that are passing us through, the sights and colors viewed by our eyes, the scents entering through our nose, the textures felt via our skin, the tastes felt in our mouths, and the waves of feelings that are continuously present but are also continuously changing and fluctuating to perceive all of that and translate them into a coherent experience of existence. You see, the body does such a superb job of making sense of the crazy amounts of stimuli it receives and processes in every millisecond that it becomes like second nature to ignore the complexity of that and take it for granted. The simple exercise of grounding yourself to be an active observer of its complexity usually translates into a more profound sense of calmness, gratitude, and an effortless sense of tranquility.

Now, let's discuss the second part of Yuval's advice: the breath! We all know the importance of breathing from the moment we are born. We gather a deeper understanding of its significant role in managing the body's moment-to-moment proper functionality as we spend a few more years on this planet. The breath is the fuel that our bodies run on. But again, since it is omnipresent and mainly at a subconscious level, we are usually unaware of the immense and immediate tool that it can become in regulating our physiology and even our emotional state. If we learn how to utilize it and cultivate the awareness needed, breath is a mighty system that can become a resource for managing our health and well-being. And the good news is that it's not too difficult to exercise and learn how to utilize this powerful tool. It starts by simply being more present when you breathe. There are so many resources online, and most of them are based upon the primary principle of what I like to call conscious breathing. Basically, find a quiet corner (indoors out outside) and get comfortable; either close your eyes or try to focus on a singular point in your horizon, and breathe deeply for several minutes. You'll be surprised to find how easily your body takes over and creates a deeper bond with the present moment. How fast you will find yourself much calmer and more collective and grounded. And how effortlessly you start feeling better in your skin. Obviously, this is just the beginning, and like any other exercise, reputation makes it better! Try to do it at least once a day and at least for 10 minutes each time and build from there. After a few short days, you will find yourself craving your breathing sessions and may start extending them more. I know this sounds too simple, but it is one of the most effective and powerful breathing exercises that you can start with. As I mentioned before, numerous resources online can take you through a much deeper journey to self-awareness and cultivating the power of your breath. But I can confidently say that the foundation of them all is the simple principles of sitting calmly and being immersed in your body's connection with the moment as you breathe deeply. You can stick with this very basic exercise for the rest of your life and still benefit profoundly from better emotional, mental, and physical balance.

I would like to finish this piece with a short poem that a patient sent me a while ago when I had an online conversation with her about the benefits of breathing. She wasn't sure of its origin, so I am not sure who the author is, but it resonated with me, so I would like to share it here.

Be Well,
Siamak

Your breath is all the magic you need

With it you can soothe, gather, center, remember

With it you can evoke visions that will transform this world.