Positive Aspirations
November 6th, 2009
“Faith is love taking the form of aspiration.” -William Ellery Channing
I have been studying positivity for over six months now. There are many days when I have tried to make myself think or feel positively and was completely unable to get out of my fear or pain that held me. What I have learned from those moments, especially in my relationships is that when I aspire to simply being open to what is actually happening, positivity can and often does slip in the back door. I have always liked the idea of aspiration. I like the feel of it as it rolls off my tongue and I have always held the meaning dearly of a heartfelt reaching towards something high or great.
Yet aspiration also means breathing, or specifically taking in air. Our ability to breathe deep happens when we feel open and relaxed. As much as breathing is autonomic, it is one of the rare body functions that can be seriously enhanced through attention. It is not surprising that breathing is the foundation of most mindful meditation techniques. If you are truly watching how you breathe, your mind cannot run circles around you. Being fully present to the act of taking in and letting out air is one of the most fundamental ways to open to the world. In a very real and concrete way our aspirations both in breath and dreams create the world.
