Relax Harder, strive with ease.

We are very complex creatures with all sorts of stuff going on in our heads and in our hearts at any given time. We are living beings that reflect, engage and often ignore the living world around us. Our bodies are made of elements found in distant galaxies but our consciousness stems from deep within. While half the globe sleeps in a wintry embrace in the dead of night, the other half goes about its day in glorious summer heat. Some people are dog people, some people are cat people. We are all different but not all separate. We all breathe the same air but many of us have forgotten just how important and life-affirming that can be. When we are in the city we breathe superficially, normally just enough to not die, yet when we visit a forest we take big deep gulps of air to draw in all the serenity. That is an energy transaction. The difference is it's free to us. When we have a lover in our arms, we squeeze them all the tighter and inhale their scent. That is another energy transaction. It happens when we take what is outside and bring it inside so that we can relish it. It reassures us of our very existence and in our confirmation of life we find tranquillity. Oxygen has a profound impact on our bodies and on our minds. The autonomic nervous system lies deep within, generally doing its job of keeping us alive without our conscious input, but receives its signals from the environment around us. It is made up of two branches: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Like the Yin and the Yang or in this case, the yang and the yin, the two branches work in tandem to keep the balance. The sympathetic nervous system triggers our fight or flight responses vital in times of crisis, the parasympathetic system deals with all the other processes, sleeping, eating and healing. Whilst one inhibits the other excites. A small dose of stress is good for the internal system, but any sustained period of stress allows the sympathetic nervous system to rule. This has a detrimental effect on your health as it includes the suppression of your digestive system, your immune system and (god forbid) your libido. Obviously our bodies need to be oxygenated to live and thrive, but we also need to cultivate a tranquil atmosphere in which to thrive in. It is easy done, take the time to breathe and make the effort to consciously do nothing more. See where your mind goes. It doesn't matter where your body goes but it would be wise to take it outside to the forest, where life is unimposing yet everywhere. It's a bit like what's going on inside you right now. Magic still exists, you just need to look in the right place.