How long can one hold one's breath? Physiologically, not too long as survival instincts (hopefully)would kick in before true asphyxiation could occur. Psychologically, however, I have found, can lasts much longer than healthy.
I am saying this as it has just occurred to me today that I have been holding my breath spiritually for quite a bit of time. Delays upon delays have resulted in me being stuck in that in-between state where I can't actually move to my new abode or start my new job. During that time, I became anxious, I forgot to breathe spiritually. Oh, I was feeling overwhelmed, I was losing sleep, I couldn't think logically. It was terrible. I wasn't very pleasant, and I was choking on my own uneasiness without a clue on how to alert others to deliver the spiritual Heimlich.
Luckily, things did start falling into place, and I could at last breathe again. And what a relief it was. It's foolish, but the truth is, we all tend to forget to breathe at times - when concentrating, when attempting something difficult. How many times have I found myself reminding my students or patients to breathe? How easily I forget. My body tensed, my fists clenched, and my psychological wellbeing going into cyanosis.
I guess what I am trying to get at is remind ourselves to breathe, to open up. You would think breathing being so critical to surival that we should be able to do it naturally. But the truth is, being able to take deep breaths constantly, especially when it matters most takes practice. We all need spiritual air to clear our heads too.
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