Crying (a poem)

Remember how babies cry?

They take a big deep breath

and let out a

huge wail.

    They don’t hold back. They just let go.

Loudly.

And sound out their breath.

Long, long exhale cries. Then short, fast, inhale sobs

as they begin to quiet down (maybe).

It’s natural to cry.

And it doesn’t mean that you are weak.

It means you are strong enough to take the risk of letting go.

Sobbing

is the most powerful and genuine release in your system.

It frees you and cleanses you.

It cleans out your emotions, it cleans out your thoughts

and it cleans out your body.

Ever notice how you feel after you cry?

It’s like a river running through.

The next time you cry you’ll probably appreciate your

breath.

Allow it to support you and keep you present

with your feelings.

Give yourself permission to cry

                                                          like a child.

Because

when you open yourself up

your breath flows more easily through your system.

It rearranges your whole inner structure.

It’s okay.

Let yourself go and cry.

Sob, scream, sniff and sigh.

 

For more poetry on the breath, get:

“Breathing into Life: Recovering Wholeness Through Body, Mind and Breath” (Balboa Press, 2016)