The present moment is the only place you live in real life. Your reflections about the past and dreams for the future are thoughts – not who you are or life itself. Though thoughts are undoubtedly powerful, these fleeting wonders of the human mind are not you and do not define you. Discover your true self and the calm within a pause when you bring awareness to your breath.

With so much intensity in our world, the idea of finding freedom from friction may feel distant. And, yet, peace is at the very center of your wellbeing and shining your brightest. Fortunately, the harmony your body and mind need to thrive always shares the same postal code with you. In each moment, you have the opportunity to open the door and invite peace in with a slow, deep breath.

You are hard-wired to store echoes of the past in your mind. Yet, sometimes these no longer support the life you desire. When you free the thoughts, things, relationships, and emotions that may be out of alignment, you open space for the light to flow in and your brilliance to shine. Mindfully exhaling what no longer serves you makes way for new, healthy energy.

Being conscious and intentional of what you inhale - physically, emotionally, mentally - allows you space to ensure what flows through you is aligned with who you are. As it's sometimes called in science, inspiration is the first stage of your breath. So with a mindful inhale, consider your inspiration and how your moment-to-moment choices breathe vitality into your life.

By Tanya Friend. Breathing. It is an essential part to living. In fact, breath gives us life. But so often it is something that can be taken for granted. This is part of my story and how setting an intention to breathe has changed my approach to life. I am a granddaughter, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, a girlfriend, a therapist, a teacher, a mentor, a leader, and an entrepreneur. I am also a woman who has had her share of loss, disappointments, failures, stresses, and challenges.