i’ve been doing breath-work almost every morning sometime between 1 - 7am for about 9 years. have you seen the wim hoff vids? "fully in" he says - "let it go...fully in let it go". i do it in bed on my back, then after the 30th breath let it out and stop breathing. no need to breathe for a while because you've just oygenated your blood. i monitor the metrics with a garmin watch and note the heart rate dropping into the 50s as the hold continues. i took this up because i love diving, wanted to make my lungs stronger and value natural immunity.

the fourth cycle is my own addition - big inhale after 60 breaths and then holding for as long as I can.
the fifth cycle is the same as the first 3. 

it’s nice being comfortable with not breathing. i visualise being underwater in that blue/green stillness. in bed i can hold my breath for a fairly long time because the body is doing nothing. it’s a different matter when you’re moving your body through the water.

how about free divers? they blow me away!

so ocean swimming 3 mornings a week allows a chance to practice it. beautiful cold clear water teaches without saying a word. backstroking is a meditation - like swimming through the sky. clouds can be stunning displays of geometry and colour. cloudless days watch the birds - always different types and different wing shapes. you glide with them. sometimes a gannet dives in right beside you - a bee follows your face - a dragonfly did once.

you feel joy welling in your heart and if you’re me you start singing a fave little chant - om mane padme houng.

i don't want to go no no no no 

authority persists so much it seems i can't resist the touch 

something takes me to the door 

"this is far enough, no more

"i don't like this place" i cried 

something pushes me inside. 

this is so cool a place of dreams 

things aren't quite so bad it seems 

i run back out to get you 

"there are rolling hills with streams" I say "and trees and wildflowers for you" 

how could I think this place was weird,  it's full of strange delight.

i want to take you back inside so you can see this too. 

at last, you seem to make your mind 

we go inside but here's the flaw - 

this isn't where I was before. 

there must have been a different door 

let's get out right now, i need to run to pee,

we left the dog outside and she needs some company

i think we better go go go no time to be polite you know,

just grab your legs and fly

no need to say goodbye