Tricycle | Awake in the World

“I'm so stressed out!” That was my mantra during the first exam period my freshman year of college. After homage to the Stress God I would gulp another cup of coffee, exacerbating my nervous condition. My friends fared worse: Some became severely ill, some had nervous breakdowns, a few dropped out entirely, and others began their decline into alcoholism. When my own stress had become almost unbearable, I reinstalled something I had learned in my youth: breathing meditation, for just fifteen minutes a day. Watching my breath soothed my nervous system, slowed those racing thoughts, alleviated anxiety, and put things into perspective - in short, it was a breather.