I was interested to see what this is really about and I think it is more about mindfulness than photography, but great for relaxing which helps photography and everything!
Breathing: A 9 minute audio recording lecture.
Deep breathing vs shallow breathing. She encourages us to breathe slowly and deeply from the diaphragm, taking in a slow deep breath and then very slowly exhale it. Watch your surroundings and become a part of them. She encourages us to do this before photographing anything, to better become a part of the scene or object photographed.
Okay. I’m trying it.
Chantal Akerman. “La chambre” (La habitación). Extracto
This is a simple Vimeo video of a woman in a bed with a camera scanning the room and all the objects at eye level. I think that the idea is to be aware of your surroundings. I tried to embed it and got: “Sorry, this content could not be embedded.” Here is the web address and maybe it will work or certainly if a Vimeo member, though it is not really much: https://vimeo.com/418561505
-o-
Music Video: The Warning – “BREATHE”
If you click the linked title in heading or “Watch on YouTube” above, it gets you there, but it would not “embed” the title frame. This is kind of weird, like being lost in a computer program’s source code, all those thousands of numbers that make a program or in this case, maybe in life. And well, yes, it is kind of musical too! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Her Summary of “What You Heard Today”
Cardiac coherence
A simple technique based on conscious breathing that regulates heart rate and improves the balance of the autonomic nervous system. It is backed by scientific studies and is increasingly used in health, education, sports, and well-being contexts.
Breathing slowly and regularly can help you reduce stress and increase mental clarity.
Two breaths, two effects
We can practice different breathing rhythms depending on the effect we are seeking:
Water breathing – 4 x 4
Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds.
It is balancing and neutral, ideal for returning to center, connecting, and focusing the mind. It gives you stability and serenity—use it anytime, just like when you drink water. Tap on the image if you need greater concentration.
Linden tea breathing – 4 x 6
Inhale for 4 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds.
By extending the exhalation, we slightly increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the body, which has a relaxing effect.
This type of breathing soothes the nervous system, reduces anxiety, and promotes rest. Tap on the image if you need greater concentration.
From my search for a summary quote:
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh
And me?
To be honest, I’m still trying to wrap my brain around all of this. I am trying to make breathing more significant and to relax more and see more, but I’m not fully there. And if anyone should be aware of breathing, it should be me! I sleep on a CPAP machine at night that keeps me breathing and not stopping my breathing hundreds of times a night as before CPAP! I annually visit my doctor of Neumologia (Spanish for respiratory doctor) and he has me on Montelukast to prevent Asthma and three different inhalers for my chronic bronchitis and even sends a respiratory nurse to my house once a month to check on my health and my CPAP machine! Wow! And that is all through the free public healthcare system here! So I know that breathing is important and I’m seeing how it can be purposefully used for mindfulness and calm focus for my photography. ~Charlie
¡Pura Vida!
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