Peter Van

Aire

“Breathing in, I smile. Breathing out, I release. Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment. Breathing out, I feel it is a wonderful moment.”

-Thich Nhat Hanh

Our fight or flight response is a survival mechanism that enables us to react to life-threatening situations. However, our body can overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening such as trafficc jams, big exams, and work pressure. To combat this, a technique called breath focus can be used. This involves deep breathing while paying attention to the breath.

Aire uses the breath as a tool to ground or connect oneself with the present. Taking advantage of tactility, sensory grounding is achieved to focus the mind on the present. The form is designed to assist the visualization of the “rising” and “falling” of the inhale and exhale. This is connected to the movement of the abdomen during inhalation and exhalation. Aire helps practice deep breathing with timed intervals to become familiar with the process. However, the end goal is to connect to the present without controlling the breath and letting it rise and fall on its own.