“Take a deep breath in,” their voice echoes
from a speaker above your head, “and out.”
When was the last time you were able to breathe deeply?
Everyone else closes their eyes, breathes
synchronized and slow.
How do they do it so easily?
Your shoulders are tight as piano wire.
They say to inhale light, exhale negativity.
What if doing that leaves nothing left?
Your eyes dart around the room
between each calm face — you are alone.
Why can’t you be like them?
Why did they invite you here in the first place?
He/they. I teach English at a junior high school in western Washington. Outside of work, I worry about a myriad of things and spend time outside.
View all posts by M. Espinosa
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9 thoughts on “They start the meeting with a breathing exercise.”
F*ck I hear you. It would be like exhaling the rest of your soul if you exhaled out the dark. Nothing to fill it back in with. Pain that comes from intense heart break. I feel you
To learn to breathe! 😆
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It would sure be nice!
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Me, even after a whole adulthood as professional classical flutist ~ still learning!
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Me too! Not the flutist part, but the breathing part.
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Wait and see, it’ll be all timed out so that on that last breath or two we’ll be saying to ourselves, hey, I think I’ve finally got this!…
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There’s no other way it could go! But what a glorious two seconds it’ll be!
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🤣👌
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F*ck I hear you. It would be like exhaling the rest of your soul if you exhaled out the dark. Nothing to fill it back in with. Pain that comes from intense heart break. I feel you
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Totally!
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