I used to stop breathing, only for a moment. I’d inhale, then pause. Exhale, then pause. I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t even realize I was doing it until a friend of mine amused herself by trying to match her breath to mine. She couldn’t do it without gasping for air. That was the first time I listened to my own breath. I was 12 years old. This sort of paused breathing is a form of disruption in the breath. According to Yoga International, it is a sign of mental stress. If you're answering a difficult question, a pause is warranted. As a habit, it could be sign of chronic anxiety. And I was doing it even as I lay down to sleep. When stress is the norm, your level of 'fine' becomes downgraded. But because it's normal, you may not even realize it. Like a frog sitting in a pot of water, if you subtly increase the heat, he won't even notice that his environment is slowly killing him. To listen to your breath is to listen to yourself. The patterns in your breath reflect your inner well-being. Consistency makes things appear that they are okay on the outside, but the breath will tell you how your mind and body are dealing with it. Spend some time to listen and find the flow of your breath. Maybe even start a breath practice. You might find a new normal.
