“For an artist, the absence of positive obsessions leads to long periods of blockage, repetitive work that bores the artist himself, and existential ailments of all sorts.”—Eric Maisel
Great stand-up comedians obsess about jokes. They are “jokes waiting to happen”. They are early warning systems for that first faint glint of humor—to be snagged, seized upon and worked up. Until eventually they arrive at the final, tingling pleasure of a joke well told.
The moment that hint of a joke pops into consciousness, they write it down, let it incubate, refine it, test it, practice it, then refine it some more. It’s a never-ending, obsessive love affair with humor creation.
And so it is with all great artists, musicians, writers, creators. Positive obsession is the driving force behind their art work for the ages.
In our using days, our major obsession was our drug of choice, right? Drugs were our life. We were a “drug-buzz waiting to happen”. We were consumed with the never-ending quest for the perfect chemical high. We obsessed over source, supply-chain, stash. We lived in constant fear of loss. Our happiness was measured by the shaking spoonful. We lived to drug… We were married to a relentless beast that had us by the throat…
In recovery, one of the best things we can do for ourselves is to redirect our previous obsession with mood-altering chemicals into a gentle obsession with mood-altering health practices. We can re-write the evolving saga of our bodies into a more poetic and pleasant journey.
If we can but taste again the beauty of our own body’s natural song, we can enjoy the gentler bliss of “health waiting to happen.”
For today, here’s a simple but very powerful breathing practice that can quickly make you feel wonderful:
Sit comfortably with good posture, or lie down and relax. Inhale deeply and quickly through the mouth taking in big gulps of oxygen. Exhale with vigor. Repeat 20 to 30 times. After the final exhale, hold the empty breath for as long as you can—without being too extreme about it. Allow some discomfort—but you know how we can be… easy does it, at a certain point, please!
Do anywhere from just one set to five sets of this breathing. When you feel complete, close your eyes, relax and let yourself feel your body. Hang out in this place for as long as you want.
I love the blissful feelings that come from simply breathing well.