Every Tuesday is yoga and Thai food night in St. Marks Place.

(St. Marks Place is the crowded little block in the city that houses amazing ethnic restaurants, happy hours, and 20 dollar piercings and tattoos. Coincidence that $3 dollar happy hours and cheap body art is on the same block? I think not.)

Breathing is a natural action, but it is not uncommon to hold your breath in yoga and forget to breath. Silly I know, but twisting your body up in various positions can cause you to forget to inhale oxygen.

It wasn’t until one sweaty class that I finally understood what it meant to actually breath.

Throughout each class the yoga instructor talks to the students, telling inspirational stories and little motivational quotes. During this one particular class, the instructor focused the whole class on talking about our breath. As i folded into downward dog and made sure to keep breathing deeply, I automatically felt relaxed and completely aware of my surroundings. Yes, I breath every second of my life but this time I put my whole mind and body into it. The instructor went on to say that the only time we ever really stop to think about our breath is during extreme emotions, such as when we are nervous or angry.

I began to apply this lesson from yoga into my daily routine.

So often we forgot to take a moment and just breath deep and take appreciation for who we are and the world around us. As adults, our minds are always racing with worries and responsibilities. We scatter and blur through our day. We don’t take in each moment, but fly through them and forget they exist. Instagram, Facebook, and obsessive phone use only make the matter worse, causing our minds to be in other places. I feel that technology and other modern advances always have us everywhere but the present. And isn’t the present where all the action is at?

So when that moment comes and you start to tune out your surroundings, stop and just breath. Focus on your breath and where you are at that moment, take in the people and the world around you. If you live in NYC like me, take in all the nose and mix of various smells (a mix of disgusting and delicious). Realize all the strength you have in that present moment, and continue to go about your day with that focus in mind.