Breath : Body : Being
The most valuable service we can offer the world, is to stay centered in our own breath, body and being.
The complexity of this moment
If you find yourself with any of these feels right now, please know that you are not alone. I see it and hear it from so many.
Ungrounded / uncertain / lack of direction
Uneasy / anxious / restless / confused
Angry / frustrated / in despair / hopelessness
Time warping / changed sense of time
Distracted / busyness; lost in mindless doing or hyper-productivity
Lethargic / apathetic / sad / depressed / melancholy / gloomy
These are natural responses by our biological systems to the immensity and complexity of the world news we are exposed to on a daily basis. These are intense times. Let’s be real. There is so much in our external world that is affecting our inner states. We have to pay close attention to what we are allowing in our field throughout our day. And yet, we have a golden opportunity to learn from these waves of emotions that are moving through us.
The task on hand is to understand the workings and interconnectedness of all of this - to observe the happenings and to nurture ourselves like we would a beloved child.
Did I lose you by saying this? The solution is not to toughen up and try to maintain that type of attitude. You’ll soon realize it is not a lasting strategy. We’ve got to listen and act accordingly - with humility and loving awareness. This is your invitation.
I find myself frozen
Mimicking the depths of winter
As if protecting the life giving force
By holding my breath
om
-Hansa Devi
Breath : Body : Being
When we feel uneasy, ungrounded, anxious, without direction, and simply disconnected from ourselves and/or the world around us, we have the grand opportunity to deepen our relationship with ourself - and to learn more about the workings of the breath, body and being.
The overarching remedy I’ve found when I notice that I’m holding my breath (literally) or feeling tension (mental and physical), is to drop back into the breath and the body. Easier said than done, you may think. Yes, I agree. What comes easiest for me does not have to be the way for you, but I still aim to inspire you to investigate this. We need all possible tools in our toolbox.
Breath awareness often means pausing and dropping into stillness, allowing the breath to naturally slow down its cadence for the mind to be able to follow along. At least in the beginning. Once you are anchored in stillness, you’ll be able to have heightened breath awareness in the midst of movement. When the breath slows down, so does the mind. Thus, through mindfulness techniques - attention, simply put - we have the opportunity to create the necessary space needed to respond to life rather than reacting. There are so many layers to this. No matter where you are now, notice where your mind goes and how you drop in. Let this be a dive into the depths of your own being, instead of merely surface level lengthening of your breath.
Challenge: Apply your attention to steadily follow your breath. See how long you can engage your mind to consciously ride the waves of the breath. Notice how you are anchored, or not. Observe without judgement. Get back to it, again and again.
The most important thing we can offer the world right now is to find our center - to hold steady, and to be at ease, in the midst of the unknown.
Connect with the breath, drop into the body, and contemplate being.
Remember that the mind will tell you stories of its interpretation of the experience, so it is for you to decipher what is actually happening. See things for what they are. Be gentle and kind to the mind that is settling into a deepened relationship with what’s below the surface level. If this is new territory for the mind, it might tell you a lot of stories to get out of the practice of following your breath or sitting with your thoughts or emotions. Be gentle. Be compassionate. Keep returning. One breath at a time.
For me, when feeling off center, the most effective way of dropping back into an unconditional space of trust is to stay with the breath. To fully feel it and to ride its wave deep into the body. An equal length of breath, where inhale and exhale is casually mirroring one another without strain, remains a portal. In the beginning, this may require effort as you explore it, but the more you do it, the easier and more effortless it becomes, I promise.
Another tactic can be a movement practice, where you synch the breath to the movement. This can be super helpful. Use whatever movement that resonates with you; walking, running, climbing, a yoga practice, or whatever - you choose. Let it be a guide to dropping into the breath and the body. The important thing is not what type of movement, nor your opinions about it, but rather allowing your full attention to it.
Be aware that what has worked in the past may not work for you anymore. Notice when your ideas and expectations don’t fully match the current moment. Adapt and pivot - as your breath, body and being speaks to you. Be curious. Be receptive. Again, be kind to yourself.
Continuously check in with yourself and bring the awareness back to breath, body and being.
There is so much that the breath is telling us about the state of the mental, emotional and physical body. Once you start investigating where certain holdings are, you quickly realize that it is all intertwined. It is all interconnected. One thing affects the other and it is often hard to tell what came first.
The inquiry, guided by curiosity, is what brings it full circle. It all arise from the same source and falls back into the same. The more you stay as the witness to your experience, these layers will reveal themselves to you and the untangling starts to happen - by you merely observing what is. But you have to be willing to stay - as a loving, non-judgmental, witness to the experience at hand.
Equanimity lies at the heart of this. For those of you who find it hard to stay attentive yet relaxed, neutrally witnessing, in the midst of challenges, I suggest using every single opportunity you get throughout your day to take a step back to observe, staying as the witness to the unfolding. This is not an easy task, but a great and extremely rewarding practice. It is something we often need to practice, in order to stay centered in the midst of chaos. THIS is the gift you want to give the world. Your peaceful equanimity. Steadfastness. Your openness and full presence in the midst of uncertainty.
Your heartfelt inquiry into the deeper layers of experience - through the investigation of breath, body and being - will lead you closer to the center that I am speaking of. By staying as the witness, distractions and veiling tend to fall away…allowing That which is at the core of our being to shine through. Simply stay as the witness.
This is a perfect example of topics we dive into during our Sangha Sessions. Join us for our next online community gathering, Thursday February 12, 2026 (join live or recorded).
Free for paid Substack subscribers ($8 /month or $80/ year). Access the gathering, contemplations, resources, journaling prompts, group support and more.
Stripped bare
When Here
There is only room
For Being
om
-Hansa Devi
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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
Ceremony - by Brianna Wiest
This is a book that serves as great food for thought. It is both thought provoking and gives you a huge nurturing embrace at the same time. It points us to healing, in the most loving way, in order for us to step into fullness of being. Deep contemplations in an easy read format.
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind - by Vishen Lakhiani
This is a book that challenges our current belief systems and structures of mind and habit. It goes into practical examples of how certain programming affects our lives and how to break out of cultural and long held belief systems that literally shape our world. It asks us to see what is true for ourselves and apply that which aligns with our own core values. It is an inspirational guide how to manifest our grand potential.
I highly recommend the audio book version of this with Vishen as the narrator.
Essentialism - by Greg McKeown
This book goes to the heart of that which we deem essential. It is a practical guide how to both view and structure our lives, filling our precious time and attention only with that which truly matters. It helps us take inventory and actionable steps, to free up more space and attention to that which we value and find nourishing in our lives.
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS
Please submit questions, reflections, requests for themes and topics you’d like us to dive into in the group sessions, in the comments below. You can submit these anonymously if you’d like, by emailing vicharapublications@gmail.com
May all beings everywhere, seen and unseen, be happy and free. om
With love,
Hansa
What you find here on the VICHARA Substack is not AI generated. I’m openly sharing my heart with yours. I want to be as real and transparent as humanly possible. That is my promise to you. Thank you for being on this journey with me and for showing up for yourself.