A Step by Step Cure for Catching Your Breath

As the head

  trainer of the Washington Redskins, Bubba Tyer sees more athletic injuries in a week than your family doctor sees in a year. so here are some tips from Tyer and his staff, and  David Price, head trainer of the New York Jets. Here's what to do the next time...


YOU GET THE WIND KNOCKED OUT OF YOU
Try to relax as you wait to regain your breath -- panicking can lead to hyperventilation when your lungs finally start working again. When you're able, clamber to your knees and breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

YOU FEEL A PANIC ATTACK COMING ON
When you feel like you can't catch your breath it's because you forgot to do something.
You forgot to exhale.  That's right!  Before you can bring air into your lungs, you have to create a place for it by exhaling.  Concentrate on exhaling fully.  Slow down so you can breathe purposefully, and don't keep inhaling without exhaling!

So what, you may ask does this have to do with Sabbath.  Both of these suggestions are not just important for literal breathing but for "Catching our breath" in life.

1.  Don't panic when life knocks the wind out of you.  Have a plan, when you can clamber onto your knees and begin to breathe again

2.  To keep from panicking create space in your life by exhaling.  Let go of something so there is room for peace.

Here is a list of ways you can Catch Your Breath

• Pray first
• Lean on your friends - 
• Tear off half your to-do list - Realistically half of your to-do list is essential and half is optional. Sure, you want to get it all done, but in this case sticking to just the essentials, will leave you with spare time to catch your breath. 
• Ask for mercy - No matter where the waves are coming from there is someone, somewhere who can give you mercy if only you ask for it. 
• Downgrade your expectations but mark your place -
• Take one step at a time and do one thing at a time - 

Nobody ever caught their breath by just continuing to struggle. Whether you are facing an unending set of waves or just life, all you need is a break. If you can find a moment of peace, high up on top of a wave, you will probably see your way out. All you really need is to catch your breath.

Sabbath in the Wilderness

I have just returned from "the edge!"  That's right, the edge I tell ya!  Women On The Edge went on a Dogsled, Ski and Snowshoe Adventure, an hour north of Grand Marais Minnesota.  (I know...it seems impossible that there is an hour left of Minnesota after Grand Marais, but there is!) This year our theme was "Catch Your Breath"

The camp is remote, we have to "pack in."  (Which is the cool way to say you haul in what you need under your own steam.)  and there is no cell service, no T.V., no videos...just peace, peace, peace.  From Thursday evening at 11 p.m. when we start our hike across the lake to get to camp, until Sunday morning when we hike back there is a tsunami of peace!

If I had to make a list (which I guess I have...repeatedly) of the things I want in my Sabbath, every one of them was realized on this weekend.

• Beautiful surroundings
• A place, time and activities which are different from the every day
• Wonderful company
• New challenges
• Time to worship
• Time to spend in prayer
• Time to read
• Time to do art
• Time to be
• Time

Every year, the third weekend in January is when we go on this amazing weekend.  I would love to have you experience a weekend where you can catch your breath

How much Sabbath is too much Sabbath?

January 6, and 7,  it was so cold in Minnesota that the governor declared a "snow" day.  Sadly this was only a few days after Christmas break so nobody was really in need of a break.  To compound matters it was so cold outside (hence the days off) that one couldn't even go outside.

The first day was enjoyable as we slept in, putzed around a bit, I did an art project, said the words, "no you absolutely can not spend a whole day playing X-box" repeatedly, read, made soup...  By day 2 I was playing X-box and saying, "hold on, you'll get your turn!"

I kept trying to think of it as Sabbath, but there was nothing from which to rest.  As my mother always said, "too much of anything is good for nothing."  Sabbath to truly be meaningful, also has to be necessary.