Breathing

Over the last several months, I have developed problems breathing. These problems arise at rest and they arise during exertion. I have had pulmonary exams and I am currently seeing a lung specialist. I currently don't have a diagnosis but I'm reasonably confident it won't turn out to be anything serious and I will get it under control.

In the meantime, these issues have plagued my workouts. I went hiking last weekend but I had to stop short. My gym workouts can cause me to get lightheaded if I'm not careful. Even attempting to resume kung fu training has been met with a bit of frustration.

Through this, I am trying to see the lessons, which are two-fold for me:

1) I no longer take breathing for granted. This might sound silly but when you go to take a breath and it's not there, it's a scary feeling. I'm thankful when I can breathe normally and this helps to keep a person humble.

2) I have realized that I hold my breathe when I do forms. I could not make it through Da Mu Hsing and I realized that it's because I don't breathe properly. This is something I have never really thought about before and is something that I need to work on. It just goes to show that there is always progress to be made, especially during a set back.