May 15 – 35 days to go. Breathe in….

I once showed up unannounced at a Shinto monastery in Kyoto.  The monks were surprised to see a “gaijin” at their door but welcomed me and made me feel very much at home.  My Japanese was non-existent and their English was rusty but they tried to describe their philosophy to me.  It boiled down to this: You must breathe in before you breathe out.  It seemed like pretty good advice and I’ve tried to apply it in a variety of ways.  I’ve also taken up a bit of yoga which, of course, emphasizes breathing.  I’ve found that I can teach myself to breathe more deeply.  When I first started, I could breathe in for about 7 seconds.  Now I can breathe in for about 15 seconds.  I never really thought of my lungs as a muscle before but they act like one and — like any muscle — you can improve their performance with practice.  I’ve read that one of the founders of Ashtanga yoga, known widely as Guruji, could breathe in for 90 seconds.  I doubt that I’ll ever reach that plateau but I’ve found that deep breathing exercises help me absorb more oxygen and that helps me bike better.  So, take a deep breath and go for a ride.