I’m not sure if Terry McMillan ever intended for society to use the title of her successful book, and later movie, as a source or description of how we live our day to day lives, always holding our breath. If I remember correctly, “waiting to exhale” meant a women was waiting for or still searching for her mate. And when they found him/her, they could then exhale.

I feel we tend to hold our breath on a daily basis. Afraid if we finally release, let it go, we’ll be sandbagged. I know I’m guilty of keeping my guard up. Not quite allowing myself to fully relax. Just ask my massage therapist.

But I’ve learned the hard way that just when we think we can let the air out in one long breath, let the shoulders fall back from our ears, feel our back release, our chest expand…we turn a corner and something catches our breath in our throat and we’re angry at ourselves for being duped.

Which is probably the reason I feel lightheaded and dizzy when I practice meditative breathing. Wait, you mean I’m supposed to take a deep breath and let it all out? All of it?

Thus is life. One. Long. Held. Breath.