Breath by Bodhi Smith

Jan 08, 2021

"breath" a brand new impression and blog from me...

"in her sighs i hear the breath of my heart.." ― bodhinku, breath

"she's oxygen, and i'm dying for just one breath of her" ― bodhinku, one breath

"before she took my breath away, i had nothing to lose...now that she has left me breathless, i have everything to lose" ― bodhinku, left breathless

"your breath touched my soul and i saw beyond all limits" ― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god

"sometimes when this place gets kind of empty, the sound of their breath fades with the light. i think about the loveless fascination under the milky way tonight..." ― sia, under the milky way (the church cover)

"life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away" ― vicki corona, tahitian choreographies

"one day you will kiss someone you can't breathe without, and find that breath is of little consequence" ― karen marie moning, bloodfever

"this i know. your breath's like wine...the sky it glows with fields of light. stars fall like dust, our lips will touch. we speak too much. come and lay with me. you make me feel alive, and i'll love you until the end of time..." ― angels and airwaves, breathe

"i wish to spend a lifetime near a beach where loneliness will be the glimmer of scintillation prancing upon ocean waves… rising and falling only for my breathing" ― munia khan

"when i write these words to you, i feel your breath; when you read them, i imagine you feel mine. is it that way with you too? these words are part of us now, part of our history, a reminder forever that we made it through this time. thank you for helping me survive this year, but more than that, thank you in advance for all the years to come" ― nicholas sparks, nights in rodanthe

"the celestial wind whispers a lonely lullaby over the ocean and through the breeze, seeming to call your name somehow into my sleeping soul. i wonder if you know that you live there, nestled in between the breaths of air and beating of my heart, where time stands still and eternity waits on the edge of the horizon. i wonder if you know that it’s you that holds me even while you are so far out of reach; you who are the lyrics of a love song etched deep within the walls of this aching heart, singing a timeless song written in the stars" ― c. ara campbell, written in the stars

"i have no expectations. i look forward to only my next breath...i know my place. i know my path. i love my journey. i am no longer sleepwalking through life. i am awakened. i see. i love. i trust. i understand. i smile. i live. i believe. i am amazed. i am at peace. and i am forever alive in my next breath" ― bodhinku, my next breath

this first song is a classic love song from the mid 1980's, making waves and becoming super popular when it was released on the movie soundtrack for Top Gun in 1986 ....and with its lyrics, it is the perfect accompaniment to connect music with the meaning of my impression and blog today: "take my breath away" by herlin ... (just click on any of the words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"watching every motion in my foolish lover's game. on this endless ocean, finally lovers know no shame. turning and returning to some secret place inside, watching in slow motion as you turn around and say: take my breath away, take my breath away...watching i keep waiting, still anticipating love. never hesitating to become the fated ones. turning and returning to some secret place to find. watching in slow motion as you turn to me and say: my love, take my breath away...through the hourglass i saw you, in time you slipped away. when the mirror crashed i called you and turned to hear you say: if only for today, i am unafraid. take my breath away, take my breath away...watching every motion in this foolish lover's game. haunted by the notion, somewhere there's a love in flames. turning and returning to some secret place inside. watching in slow motion as you turn my way and say: take my breath away, my love, take my breath away. my love, take my breath away...my love, take my breath away my love" ― berlin, take my breath away

"there is nothing
prettier in the
whole wide world
than a girl
in love
with every breath she takes" ― atticus, love her wild

"you brought to me life, you opened my eyes. and how did we become greater than we are?...i'm seeing colors vivid and bright, how did, how did you do this?...my feet are up in the sky, heaven's so close, i could kiss it. and maybe it's you, and maybe it's me too. maybe, i wish we could hold our breath until we know what's next. i wish i could open my chest and show you everything" ― skylar stecker, how did we?

"sometimes it's the same moments that take your breath away that breathe purpose and love back into your life" ― steve maraboli, reflections on life and the human experience

“every moment of the night
forever changing places
and they put out the star-light
with the breath from their pale faces” ― edgar allan poe, complete stories and poems

"in every step, in every breath of yours, you’ll feel me…i am up above you, i am beneath your feet...i am in every sight you see, in every voice you hear…your ears will be filled up with my whispers, my laughter and my cries…my fights and tantrums will never leave you…my footsteps, my shadow, will haunt you in every corner you go…i will be your mornings, your days and nights…i am the breeze that wraps your body in the morning… i am the moonlight that bathes your body at night… i am the fire that will burn you. i am the storm that you cannot handle… i am the rain that will wash away the dust from your soul…i am in your reflection. i am your shadow…your heart whispers my name in every beat...every word you say, echoes my name… i am the secret you want to hide, but the secret that the world knows…i am your dream…i am your nightmare…i am your darkest sin...i am you" ― c. ara campbell

"and god himself could bend the heavens and the earth, rain meteor showers, birth supernovas, spin whole galaxies into reality in the breadth of a moment, and still never come close to fathering a sight that could steal the breath from me like hers" ― beau taplin, the blueprint

"she is a living, breathing work of art. as audacious as dali's mustache, mysterious like a mona lisa smile. as sensual as o'keeffe's painted petals, glorious, like a van gogh starry night"― john mark green, taste the wild wonder

"there needs to be a silence, a time to share the breath of the same air, to permit a period of reflection in order to truly connect with other souls. we need to carry our connections in our hearts, not in our hands or in our words...silence needs to be the connection, not the disconnection..." ― bodhinku, connecting through silence

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MEANING

"maybe it is true that life is a bummer right now...but look at what you have right now, not what you do not have...you are alive, you are breathing...so breathe in, and breathe out, and deeply enjoy those breaths, and be thankful you have what many people did not get to wake up and experience today: life and living!" ― bodhinku, enjoy every breath

from my own perspective as the artist, the meaning of this impression and blog is twofold...both a romantic mood with emotions i felt while i was capturing the impression, and a second more profound meaning about cherishing life and the chance to take one more breath...

pictured here is a sea stack just off the beach appropriately named "face rock" in the coastal town of bandon, oregon. given the native american tribal lore of this rock being the face of the most beautiful of all native american girls, the princess ewauna, (for more see the "legend of face rock" section below), romantically, i could picture this being my beloved...

she is laying there before me on her back on the beach under the milky way that's towering overhead as it rises up through the afterglow of the earlier sunset. i'm surrounded by magical reflections in the wet sand of her and the celestial sky, with the billions of stars glowing all over her face and her body as she lays there still, the only thing moving is the rising vapor of her breath from her lips into the chilled night air...

for in her sighs i could feel the breath of my heart. she is oxygen and i am dying for one more breath of her. her beauty and essence steals my breath and seals my fate. before she took my breath away, i had nothing to lose...now that she has left me breathless, i have everything to lose. then, everything seemingly stops on cue as silence drops around us, a sigh floats down from the stars as she breathes the most wonderful sound: i love you...

"your breath touched my soul and i saw beyond all limits" ― jalaluddin rumi, hush don't say anything to god

also, this impression and blog is about the value of every breath we take. any breath could be our last breath. we need to value just how precious life is, how priceless it is that we get to take one more breath, get to breathe and live. no matter how bad things might be for each of us right now, life is more important. some many people did not wake up today and get to have the chance for one more breath. cherish your chance. cherish life. live, and make every moment count, because you never know when you will have breathed your last breath.

it is winter now. get up early in the morning. go outside and feel the wisdom of the chill. take a deep breath, breathe in the cool brisk air, and listen, and witness...for in that moment, we can see the air around us, and watch our breath as we exhale, be reminded even the air is not invisible, it is real, it is life. and it is okay to not know what to do. just empower ourself with the hope of taking a new step forward, take another deep breath and and take that step not knowing, be astonished with our life and where it will lead us again, cherish each breath as it might be your last...and never forget we are still blessed to be alive and breathing in this beautiful world...

i have no expectations. i look forward to only my next breath...i know my place. i know my path. i love my journey. i am no longer sleepwalking through life. i am awakened. i see. i love. i trust. i understand. i smile. i live. i believe. i am amazed. i am at peace. and i am forever alive in my next breath...

"take a deep breath, inhaling slowly, counting one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, one thousand four...and then slowly exhale counting the same 1001-1002-1003-1004...repeat this 222 times...and i guarantee you will feel better about everything, because you will see that just breathing is heavenly..." ― bodhinku, heavenly

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MORE BODHIKU QUOTES

and now here are a few more quotes from bodhinku from past blogs to help add to the deeper meaning of this blog today...

"i dream, to

breathe, to

sigh, to

float, above

clouds, over

raindrops, through

sunrise and sunset, across

the starry sky, beyond

the milky way, to

paint romance impressions, into

my every atom, throughout" ― bodhinku, i dream

"my biggest problem is that i'm still me, but my biggest gift is that i'm still me" ― bodhinku, i'm always me

"take my hand today
take me with you and let's play
take my breath away"― bodhinku, take my breath (haiku)

"stay in a giggle. breathe in silence, exhale the noise. good living happens in the breath of a giggle" ― bodhinku, giggle

"there is a place born of silence. a place where the whispers of the heart arise. there is a place where voices sing your beauty. a place where every breath carves your image in my soul. that place is reflected in your eyes, reflected in me eyes through the mirror that is us" ― bodhinku, places

"somebody
to lay with,
nothing in between.
lost in a breath
existing in a dream.
to be naked
to our souls
and give everything unseen.." ― bodhinku, between unseen

"i feel like such an old soul, out of touch with all this changing technology creating unconnected, self-centered noises rushing about, all around me, surrounding me, cutting off my breath, disconnecting me from living...i want quiet and simplicity, minimalism in reality...i just want to see things, really see them, slow down life and make sense of my reason for being here, which will never be found on a touch screen..." ― bodhinku, wanting minimalism

"let's just be,

and just lay here

just you and me

forget the world, no fear

your eyes into my eyes

hearts touching so near

joined breath and sighs

no sadness, just cheer

no if's, and's, or why's

just our love so dear" ― bodhinku, joined breath

"i lived a lifetime of happiness in one just night...all night long just being, just breathing and just letting go...truly living and experiencing life, so unexpected, just letting moments take my breath away" ― bodhinku, just

"and then after that first kiss, i breathed my very first real breath, then exhaled a sigh as my first true smile happened...you saw my face transform, the weight of all the years was lifted and i found you once again." ― bodhinku, true love's kiss

"after a hot shower

wipe the mirror, and

clear the mist

covering it...

look closely, at

yourself...

see the reflection

you want to see...

breathe in, breathe out...

now,

let go, of

who you are,

and become,

who you can be." ― bodhinku, clear the mist

"whenever you are left totally breathless because you forgot to breathe, feeling so deeply awe-struck and marveled by something so beautiful and rare, you know you have just been touched by the divine" ― bodhinku, touched by the divine

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STORY BEHIND THIS IMPRESSION

"with every breath that we take, sometimes we forget how lucky we are to just be alive...everything else is secondary...sometimes we must stop in the middle of everything and just breathe, and be thankful for that breath of life. wrap our heads around the understanding that our health is all that really matters, sometimes we all need to be reminded and truly remember that living is a gift and should be cherished" ― bodhinku, how lucky we are

pictured here is a sea stack just off the beach known as "face rock" located in the small town of bandon on oregon's pacific coast in the winter during a low tide after sunset...if you look closely, you can see the impression of a face profile looking up and rightward towards the northern sky. i created this minimalist photographic composition with the milky way in a position over top of face rock in such a way as to give the impression of breath coming out of the rock formation's mouth, as though it were breathing on a cool night...hope you like this one...

this next tune is such a compelling song, with what i feel is a positive message about making it past feeling low, not giving up on life, just breathing and letting life's changes happen...a man sings about thinking that his life is over, yet still with each breath which could be his last, he's trying to hold on to life and the things he loves about it. he's struggling with living. he's going nowhere in his life, and he's trying to escape. he thinks maybe death could be his escape. he's reflecting on the mistakes he made and crying out to heaven for help. but in the end, he realizes the value of every breath. he finds the strength to go on, because even though he might be down to his last breath, he realizes that his life will get better...such a positively poignant song, a true metal ballad, a classic from 2001 to help anyone find some peace in their life in times of trouble, or ego, or if they think there is nothing anymore to life for...because by breathing and just letting things be, you get an understanding that with every breath, life is so precious, so beautiful, and not worth wasting for any problem: "one last breath" by creed ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the song)...

"please come now i think I'm falling. i'm holding on to all i think is safe. it seems i found the road to nowhere, and i'm trying to escape. i yelled back when i heard thunder, but i'm down to one last breath. and with it let me say, let me say: hold me now, i'm six feet from the edge and i'm thinking maybe six feet ain't so far down...i'm looking down now that it's over. reflecting on all of my mistakes. i thought i found the road to somewhere, somewhere in his grace. i cried out heaven save me (save me), but i'm down to one last breath. and with it let me say, let me say: hold me now, i'm six feet from the edge and i'm thinking maybe six feet ain't so far down. hold me now, i'm six feet from the edge and i'm thinking maybe six feet ain't so far down, i'm so far down...sad eyes follow me, but i still believe there's something left for me. so please come stay with me 'cause i still believe there's something left for you and me, for you and me for you and me...hold me now, i'm six feet from the edge and i'm thinking. hold me now, i'm six feet from the edge and i'm thinking maybe six feet ain't so far down. maybe six feet ain't so far down. please come now i think i'm falling, i'm holding on to all i think is safe" ― creed, one last breath

"each morning i meditate before i start my day...i breathe in, and i breathe out. breathe in, breathe out. breathe in, breathe out...a wise person once reminded me that life is not measured by the breaths that you take, but by the moments that take your breath away...a moment in time can mean a lifetime" ― bodhinku, breathe the moment

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THE LEGEND OF FACE ROCK

"each and every moment is temporary. cherish the moments that take your breath away, live them to the fullest, for they will not last. and do not shutter away the difficult moments, reflect and learn from them, get through them. they are not forever, they too will pass... good or bad, every moment is precious. and every breath is priceless, because they remind us we are living...always be sure to cherish each breath, and make each moment count" ― bodhinku, each moment

ottile parker kronenberg (1865-1943) was the daughter of capt. judah parker, for whom parkersburg, oregon was named (located close to bandon upstream on the coquille river). as a young child, she often listened to “mary,” one of the last of the nasomah (coquille) tribe, and delighted in the many native american stories mary told her. mary also taught mrs. kronenberg the dialect of miluk (language of the lower coquille tribes). although mary died in 1911, the deep friendship yielded a rich, enduring abundance of native american lore and legends....the following is one of the tales kronenberg put to paper for permanence for the rest of us to learn about...

hiyu cole kopet kumtx how see (many years; i forget how many)

seatka, the evil spirit of the ocean, lived along the coast. no good came from him. all the coast tribes feared him, for they knew how dangerous and treacherous he was. however the tribes of the far mountains feared him not, and when they came to the coast to trade, they brought with them their families, horses and dogs, and the children carried their pets.

the great mountain chief siskiyou was coming on that chinook moon of long ago, bringing with him his beautiful daughter ewauna. this being a great honor, a potlatch was planned by the four chiefs of the coast. necomah, being the strongest of them all, was appointed by the three other coast tribe chiefs manager of the affair.

because of the determination to show how prosperous the coast nations were, the potlatch of all potlatches was decided upon. among american indigenious peoples of the northwest coast, a "potlatch" is an opulent ceremonial feast at which possessions are given away or destroyed to display wealth or enhance prestige. the days before the potlatch were busy days for the coast tribes. each of the four coastal tribes would bring their own unique bounties for the feast.

necomah ordered great quantities of clams and mussels gathered and placed in huge mounds covered with sea moss and spicy leaves of the myrtle tree ready for the fires. eight fat bear were ready also for the hot spit. the elks brought one hundred salmon cleaned and ready for spit of green willow boughs under which glowed driftwood fires, the hot coals of which were best for the roasting. the old squaws tended these. the sixes brought the meat of a dozen elk; the rogues twenty cayuses loaded with deer dressed ready for the feast.

under a long arbor of cedar trees the tables were placed, logs split down the middle were used with the flat side up. from cedar bark the squaws made huge trays which were filled with huckleberries and wild honey. spoons of clam shells, plates of bark and cups hollowed from burnt wood kept the squaws busy, although plenty of time was allowed for the preparations.

on the hills back of the camp, a lookout was placed to herald the approaching visitors. on the bluff, armed warriors were watching so that seatka could not cause trouble. with a yell the runners tell of the coming of the siskiyou a day and a night off. into the pit go the bear, elk and deer, covered deep with hot bark. the clams are not cooked until the last hour before the feast.

first to arrive was chief siskiyou with the beautiful daughter, ewauna. he encamped at some distance from the potlatch grounds. ewauna had never before seen the ocean. to her it was most beautiful for she thought that at last she had found the place where the beautiful clouds were made that she saw each day from her home in the mountains.

she laughed at the warnings of the old men to be careful not to wander alone near the bluff as the wicked seatka might see her and claim her for his own. she brought with her her dog komax and her cat and kittens which she carried in a basket. her father had bought the cat from a french trapper who had carried it from montreal. the cat and kittens were great curiosities to the coast tribes who had only ever seen the great wild puma and never before seen a domestic cat. the wonder of the tenas puss puss was passed from tribe to tribe.

in the early morning of the second day came the four chiefs dressed in their magnificent regalia (ceremonial dress). necomah with salutations of good will magnanimously presented his gift of wampum inviting the great chief and his people to the greatest of all potlatches given in honor of the magnitude of chief siskiyou’s power. this impressed the great chief and he accepted with stoical indifference. the four chiefs were followed by chief siskiyou and in single file the men were followed by the women.

the wind wafted the odors of the great vians of the feast. it quickened their steps. soon all were seated. necomah gave the welcome talk.

"klakahama my friend;
klakahama talk to great spirit –
great spirit talk to klakahama:
i make plenty sun, plenty grass,
plenty bear, plenty elk, plenty fish.
i make plenty eat eat."

all day they feasted until drunk with food. they slept where they sat. ewauna slipped away from the sleeping camp. calling her dog and taking her cat and kittens she started for the beach. she wished to see old wecoma, the sea, making the white clouds. the beautiful full chinook moon hung low over the sea, lucid, resplendent in all its glory. ewauna ran and danced with delight, singing her dance song to the moon. so happy was she with the grandeur of this beautiful wecoma, she danced nearer and nearer to the water, feeling the wonder at the cool touch of it.

she dropped her basket, telling her dog komax to watch. she ran out into wecoma and swam and swam and swam, wild with glee. on and on and on she swam, paying no heed to the dog’s cry of danger. on and on far from shore she swam. the friendly moon became obscured as by a black hand and the next thing she knew, she was being grasped by a fearsome creature who came out of the water near her. it was seatka. komax, who had failed to make her hear his danger call, swam out with the basket and, as the monster seized his beloved mistress, he stuck his sharp teeth into his hand. howling with rage he kicked the dog off, causing him to drop the basket. grabbing the cat and kittens he threw them far out into the sea. seatka held the girl tightly, trying to make her look at him, as his treacherous power lay in his eyes. this she refused to do, telling him she never never would, keeping her face toward the friendly moon.

at sunrise her father awoke and finding his daughter gone gave the alarm. they all rushed to the sea. fearfully they gazed out, seeing the dawn break through the white mist, and then they saw the beautiful face of ewauna lying on the sea smiling up at the white clouds coming from the north. to the west they saw her cat and kittens and near the beach poor komax baying for his mistress. behind the large rocks near the shore sits seatka, gazing at ewauna still trying to catch her eye. but never, never does she falter. many, many moons she has been there. now they have all turned to stone... ― the writings of o.p. kronenberg

"by breathing and just letting things be, you get an understanding that with every breath, life is so precious, so beautiful, and not worth wasting for any problem" ― bodhinku, every breath

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MORE QUOTES FOR EXTRA MEANING

and here is a strongly beautiful song, another tune that goes so perfectly with my blog and impression today, sung so femininely, yet so powerfully: "breath of life" by florence + the machine ...(just click on any of words in the blue links to listen to the musical selection)....

"oh, i was looking for a breath of life. a little touch of heavenly light. but all the choirs in my head sang no to get a dream of life again. a little of vision of the start and the end. but all the choirs in my head sang no. but i only needed one more touch. another taste of heavenly rush and i believe, i believe it so. and i only needed one more touch. another taste of devouring rush. and i believe, i believe it so. whose side am i on, whose side am i? whose side am i on, whose side am i? and the fever began to spread from my heart down to my legs. but the room was so quiet. oh, and although i wasn't losing my mind, it was a chorus so sublime. but the room is too quiet (oh, the fever). i was looking for a breath of life, a little touch of heavenly light. but all the choirs in my head sang no (i believe it). to get a dream of life again, a little vision of the start and the end. but all the choirs in my head sang no. ha oh, it's a harder way. and it's come to claim her. and i always say. we should be together. i can see below 'cause there's something in here. and if you are gone, i will not belong here. and i started to hear it again, but this time it wasn't the end. and the room was so quiet, oh, and my heart is a hollow plain. for the devil to dance again, and the room was too quiet. oh, i was looking for a breath of life, a little touch of heavenly light, but all the choirs in my head sang no" ― florence + the machine, breath of life

“take each moment watchfully. watch your breath. and that is one of the most significant practices for watching because the breath is there, continuously available for twenty-four hours a day wherever you are. the birds may be singing one day, they may not be singing some other day, but breathing is always there. sitting, walking, lying down, it is always there. go on watching the breath coming in, the breath going out. not that watching the breath is the point, the point is learning how to watch. go to the ocean and watch the waves. sit on the beach and watch people passing by. watch anything, just remember that you are a watcher. don’t become judgmental, don’t be a judge. once you start judging you have forgotten that you are a watcher, you have become involved, you have taken sides, you have chosen. you are in favor of this thought and you are against that thought. once you choose, you become identified. watchfulness is the method of destroying all identification. don’t identify yourself with anything, and slowly one learns the ultimate art of watchfulness. that’s what meditation is all about. through meditation one discovers one’s own light. that light you can call your soul, your self, your god, whatever word you choose, or you can remain just silent, because it has no name. it is a nameless experience, tremendously beautiful, ecstatic, utterly silent, but it gives you the taste of eternity, of timelessness, of something beyond worlds" ― siddhartha gautama buddha, hakyamuni

"watch your breath and unload your cart; the rays of the morning sun will wash your heart" ― siddhartha gautama buddha, the dhammapada

"when a person should be spoken with, and you don't speak with them, you lose them. when a person shouldn't be spoken with and you speak to them, you waste your breath. the wise do not lose people, nor do they waste their breath" ― confucius, the doctrine of the mean

“breathe in, breathe out. all the blessings of the universe that we may overlook are contained in the entirety of a breath. breathe in, breathe out. each breath is the sun flowering our earth, fresh water filling our oceans, and the blue skies clearing our minds. infinite emotions are contained within every breath, and by the breath we can always realize the beauty within it all. breathe in, breathe out" ― lao tzu, tao te ching

"allow your life to unfold naturally, know that it too is a vessel of perfection. just as you breathe in and breathe out, sometimes you’re ahead and other times behind. sometimes you’re strong and other times weak. sometimes you’re with people and other times alone" ― lao tzu, tao te ching

"with each breath you take in, cherish yourself...with each breath you exhale out, cherish all beings" ― dalai lama xiv, the art of happiness

"with every breath, the old moment is lost; a new moment arrives. we exhale and we let go of the old moment. it is lost to us. in doing so, we let go of the person we used to be. we inhale and breathe in the moment that is becoming. in doing so, we welcome the person we are becoming. we repeat the process. this is meditation. this is renewal. this is life" ― lama surya das, letting go

"my love for you is simply greater than me always. your each breath cuts me" ― mohandas mahatma gandhi

"higher love: i am here to serve. i am here to inspire. i am here to love. i am here to live my truth....communion: i will appreciate someone who doesn’t know that i feel that way. i will overlook the tension and be friendly to someone who has ignored me. i will express at least one feeling that has made me feel guilty or embarrassed....awareness: i will spend ten minutes observing instead of speaking. i will sit quietly by myself just to sense how my body feels. if someone irritates me, i will ask myself what i really feel beneath the anger—and i won’t stop paying attention until the anger is gone....acceptance: i will spend five minutes thinking about the best qualities of someone i really dislike. i will read about a group that i consider totally intolerant and try to see the world as they do. i will look in the mirror and describe myself exactly as if i were the perfect mother or father i wish i had had (beginning with the sentence “how beautiful you are in my eyes”). ...creativity: i will imagine five things i could do that my family would never expect—and then i will do at least one of them. i will outline a novel based on my life (every incident will be true, but no one would ever guess that i am the hero). i will invent something in my mind that the world desperately needs....being: i will spend half an hour in a peaceful place doing nothing except feeling what it is like to exist. i will lie outstretched on the grass and feel the earth languidly revolving under me. i will take in three breaths and let them out as gently as possible....efficiency: i will let at least two things out of my control and see what happens. i will gaze at a rose and reflect on whether i could make it open faster or more beautifully than it already does—then i will ask if my life has blossomed this efficiently. i will lie in a quiet place by the ocean, or with a tape of the sea, and breathe in its rhythms....bonding: when i catch myself looking away from someone, i will remember to look into the person’s eyes. i will bestow a loving gaze on someone i have taken for granted. i will express sympathy to someone who needs it, preferably a stranger....giving: i will buy lunch and give it to someone in need on the street (or i will go to a café and eat lunch with the person). i will compliment someone for a quality that i know the individual values in him- or herself. i will give my kids as much of my undivided time today as they want....immortality: i will read a scripture about the soul and the promise of life after death. i will write down five things i want my life to be remembered for. i will sit and silently experience the gap between breathing in and breathing out, feeling the eternal in the present moment" ― deepak chopra, unlocking the hidden dimensions of your life

"we all travel the milky way together..." ― john muir, the mountains of california

"now comes sundown. the west is all a glory of color transfiguring everything. the daylight fades, the color spell is broken, and nature breathes free in the night breeze beneath the stars" ― john muir

"it is all very beautiful and magical here...a quality which cannot be described. you have to live it and breathe it...the skies and land are so enormous, and the detail so precise and exquisite that wherever you are, you are isolated in a glowing world between the macro and the micro, where everything is sidewise under you and over you, and the clocks stopped long ago" ― ansel adams

"my house here is painted the yellow colour of fresh butter on the outside, with glaringly green shutters...and over it there is the intensely blue sky. in this house i can love and breathe, meditate and paint" ― vincent van gogh

"we will not always be here, you and i...these bodies are not forever, and yet we swallow so much thinking we have all the time in the world to do as we wish. we clutch our feelings close to us, trying to obscure them against the very skin that yearns for the touch of them. we have few precious breaths on this planet, a finite number of days in which to weave our beautiful stories through the tapestry of time. the soul may live on eternal, but this earthly form doesn’t. eventually we all return to stardust once more. we as mortal beings on this planet are here to experience a short-term reality, one that is jam-packed with experiences on this roller-coaster we call life. all the ups, downs and creamy middles are ours to embrace with arms wide open so let’s take a vow to plunge ourselves head first into the very world that we are here to experience. are you ready?" ― c. ara campbell

"sometimes our experiences have taught us not to hope for anything other than the basic whitewash on canvas. life is always going to make your horizons stretch. with every breath you are expanding. with every day you are being called to pick up the brush and touch up what it is you are wanting to see on your canvas" ― c. ara campbell

"within your chest beats a deity's heart and your bones are woven from star-dust. you deserve someone who will choose you fully and actively seek to build a world with you, one of peace, love and passion. one who longs for the little adventures that are found on a saturday morning out on the open road listening to songs that others make fun of. you deserve a best friend who wants your calm, your storm and every loving breath in between. one who understands the deep healing found in deep belly laughter, silliness and laying bare in one another’s arms. for you, only one who embraces you in your wholeness will ever do; someone who will never half-love you or pluck you only to watch you wither. one who opens fully for you to behold their medicine as they do yours; one who will never be satisfied until their roots have penetrated all the way into the depths of your nourishing soil. one who loves the fire in your veins and the thunder in your spirit. one who celebrates you for all that you are. the one on this planet who beats a heart deserving of your fire." ― c. ara campbell

"whole in its splendor of silence, bound together with the synchronicity of ragged breath, pounding heart and unbridled passions. desire crashes like waves upon a shore taking my breath away; here is a place of unity; here is a journey to the stars; every sound a prayer to the divine...this is what they must mean by eternity; this sacred space formed by beating hearts, breathless rasps, and open souls joined of one smile. these are the moments of radiant bliss spoken in all ages of the world and silently breathed into the syllables of all languages" ― c. ara campbell

"and she said 'never forget me'...as if the coast could forget the ocean...or the lung could forget the breath...or the earth could forget the sun" ― beau taplin

"let's try and avoid death in small doses, reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of taking in a breath. only a burning patience will lead to the attainment of a splendid happiness" ― pablo neruda

"and that's how it was, that night,
shadow and space, earth
and time,
something that runs and falls
and passes.
and that's how all the nights
go over the earth,
leaving only a vague
black odor.
a leaf falls,
a drop
on the earth
muffles its sound,
the forest sleeps, the waters,
the meadows,
the bells,
the eyes.
i hear you and you breathe,
my love,
we sleep." ― pablo neruda, 100 love sonnets

"what makes life interesting are the challenges we face with every breath we take" ― paulo coelho, the alchemist

"dance while you are alive. take a reath blissfully while you are alive. sing while you are alive. love, meditate while you are alive" ― osho, the secret of secrets

"when you breathe in, breathe in all the misery and suffering of all the beings of the world, the past, present and future. and when you breathe out, breathe out all the joy that you have, all the blissfulness that you have, all the benediction that you have. breathe out, pour yourself into existence. this is the method of compassion: drink in all the suffering and pour out all the blessings" ― osho, book of wisdom

"be the celebrators, celebrate! already there is too much—the flowers have bloomed, the birds are singing, the stars light the night, and the sun is there in the sky—celebrate it! you are breathing and you are alive and you have consciousness, celebrate it!" ― osho, awareness: the key to living in balance

"such a sky and such a sun
i never knew and neither did you
and everybody never breathed
quite so many kinds of yes" ― e. e. cummings, 100 selected poems

"he leaned closer, their faces drawing near, and he could feel the heat of her breath mingling with his. he closed his eyes against the memory of a thousand other kisses and touched his lips to hers. he felt a kind of spark, and all at once he felt her slowly coming back to him. she was the arm that held him close in times of trouble, she was the whisper on the pillow beside him at night" ― nicholas sparks, the choice

"love is a portion of the soul itself...and it's of the same nature as the celestial breathing of the atmosphere of paradise" ― victor hugo, les miserables

"not just beautiful, though--the stars are alive and breathing. and they're watching me" ― haruki marukami, sputnik sweetheart

"i want morning and noon and nightfall with you. i want your tears, your smiles, your kisses...the smell of your hair, the taste of your skin, the touch of your breath on my face. i want to see you in the final hour of my life...to lie in your arms as i take my last breath" ― lisa kleypas, again the magic

"listen--are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?" ― mary oliver

"i want to make romeo jealous. i want the dead lovers of the world to hear our laughter, and grow sad. i want a breath of our passion to stir dust into consciousness, to wake their ashes into pain" ― oscar wilde, the picture of dorian gray

"fill your paper with the breath of your heart" ― william wordsworth, intimations of immortality

"to move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to roam the lands remote, to travel is to live" ― hans christian anderson, the fairy tale of my life

"the sea is everything. it covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. its breath is pure and healthy. it is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. the sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. it is nothing but love and emotion; it is the living infinite" ― jules verne, twenty thousand leagues under the sea

"i wanted him like i wanted air to breathe. not a choice but a necessity" ― stephenie meyer, breaking dawn

"as i took another breath, i saw the three stars again. they were not calling to me; they were letting me go, leaving me to the black universe i had wandered for so many lifetimes. i drifted into the black, and it got brighter and brighter. it wasn't black at all, it was blue. warm, vibrant, brilliant blue...i floated into it with no fear at all" ― stephenie meyer, the host

"breathe. let go. and remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure" ― oprah winfrey

"you're every breath that i take. you're every step i make...and i want to share all my love with you. no one else will do..." ― lionel richie and diana ross, my endless love

"things to do today:

1) Breathe in.

2) Breathe out." ― ned vizzini, it's kind of a funny story

"all things pass in time. we are far less significant than we imagine ourselves to be. all that we are, all that we have wrought, is but a shadow, no matter how durable it may seem. one day, when the last man has breathed his last breath, the sun will shine, the mountains will stand, the rain will fall, the streams will whisper...and they will not miss him" ― jim butcher, blood rites

"look up; notice how the stars shine. look in; notice how the stars shine" ― laura jaworski

"love is an element. like air to breathe, earth to stand on" ― laini taylor, daughter of smoke & bone

"synchronize each breath with the present moment and become intertwined with happiness. breathing in, we are grateful for the opportunities that are given to us; breathing out, we let go of the depression and anxiety that hold us back" ― forrest curran, purple buddha project

"i wanted to dream inside your eyeball...
to feel the peace of your thoughts...
get lost in the war of your heart...
and then disappear into your deep embrace...

stars every dot at the bottom of your eyes,
galaxies that send messages to every infinite part of your thoughts...
lost in the immensity of heaven,
from where we lost without knowledge of our own self.

can you hear the beat??!!
we have mutated from concrete and metal,
in pollution and smoke,
in theatrical moves not on the board but on the true audience.
beats and life,
breaths, rhythm and music.
the universe is calling us.

i wanted to...
to dream...
to feel...
to get lost...
to disappear...
and then sit under the stars,
the immensity to feel...
to shout with my hands up,
to feel the greatness that embraces us with our eyes open.

stars and color,
pace and light,
you and me.
to love and be loved.
naked souls,
only with our breaths and our beats from our hearts.

i wanted to..." ― stamatina vathi, i wanted to

"your soul and mine are mingled. breathing as one. journeying as one" ― jalaluddin rumi, a year with rumi

"at the end of my life, with just one breath left, if you come, i'll sit up and sing" ― jalaluddin rumi, the soul of rumi

"when you find yourself with your beloved, embracing for one breath, in that moment you will find your true destiny. alas, don’t spoil this precious moment. moments like this are very, very rare" ― jalaluddin rumi, bridge to the soul

"there is a place born of silence, a place where the whispers of the heart arise. there is a place where voices sing your beauty, a place where every breath carves your image into my soul" ― jalaluddin rumi, the music and silence of the heart

"with life as short as a half taken breath, don't plant anything but love" ― jalaluddin rumi, in the arms of the beloved

"from the beginning of my life. i have been looking for your face, but today i have seen it. today i have seen the charm, the beauty, the unfathomable grace of the face that i was looking for. today i have found you and those who laughed and scorned me yesterday are sorry that they were not looking as i did. i am bewildered by the magnificence of your beauty and wish to see you with a hundred eyes. my heart has burned with passion and has searched forever for this wondrous beauty that i now behold. i am ashamed to call this love human and afraid of god to call it divine. your fragrant breath, like the morning breeze has come to the stillness of the garden. you have breathed new life into me. i have become your sunshine and also your shadow. my soul is screaming in ecstasy, every fiber of my being is in love with you. your effulgence has lit a fire in my heart and you have made radiant for me the earth and sky. my arrow of love has arrived at the target. i am in the house of mercy, and my heart is a place of prayer" ― jalaluddin rumi, looking for your face

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MORE LOVELY TUNES TO LISTEN TO (CLICK BLUE LINKS FOR SONG)

"a blue, black shade of love. sent from above. my hands are tied to worlds alone, and this i know. your breath's like wine, and just like clouds, my skin crawls. it's so divine, the sky it glows with fields of light...did you know that i love you? come and lay with me. i love you. and honestly, i will love you. you make me feel alive, and i'll love you until the end of time...my hands shake clasped with fear as you come near to say goodnight, just like a dove. a peaceful sign to help us by as you come in. let this begin. stars fall like dust, our lips will touch. we speak too much... did you know that i love you? come and lay with me. i love you. and honestly, i will love you. you make me feel alive, and i'll love you until the end of time... did you know that i love you? come and lay with me. i love you. and honestly, i will love you. you make me feel alive, and i'll love you until the end of time...i've got a lot to say, if you will let me. it's always hard, when you're around me. but here right now, there's interest in your eyes. so hear me out, and hear this the first time: that i love you (come and lay with me). that i love you (and all this day). and i love you (you make me feel alive). that i love you till the end of time" ― angels and airwaves, breathe

"i am waiting in a silent prayer. i am frightened by the load i bear. in a world as cold as stone must i walk this path alone? be with me now, be with me now breath of heaven..do you wonder as you watch my face if a wiser one should have had my place? but i offer all i am for the mercy of your plan. help me be strong. help me be. help me breath of heaven hold me together. be forever near me breath of heaven, breath of heaven. lighten my darkness, pour over me your holiness, for you are holy" ― amy grant, breath of heaven

"ooh you take my breath away. look into my eyes and you'll see i'm the only one. you've captured my love. stolen my heart. changed my life. every time you make a move, you destroy my mind. and the way you touch, i lose control and shiver deep inside. you take my breath away. you can reduce me to tears with a single sigh (please don't cry anymore). every breath that you take, any sound that you make, is a whisper in my ear. i could give up all my life for just one kiss. i would surely die if you dismiss me from your love. you take my breath away, so please don't go. don't leave me here all by myself. i get ever so lonely from time to time. i will find you anywhere you go, i'll be right behind you. right until the ends of the earth. i'll get no sleep 'till i find you to tell you that you just take my breath away. i will find you anywhere you go right until the ends of the earth. i'll get no sleep 'till i find you to tell you when i've found you: i love you" ― queen, you take my breath away

"breathe in, breathe out, tell me all of your doubts, and everybody bleeds this way, just the same. breathe in, breathe out, move on and break down, if everyone goes away i will stay. we push and pull, and i fall down sometimes, i'm not letting go, you hold the other line. cause there is a light in your eyes, in your eyes. hold on hold tight, from out of your sight, if everything keeps moving on, moving on, hold on hold tight, make it through another night, and everyday there comes a song with the dawn, we push and pull and i fall down sometimes, i'm not letting go, you hold the other line. cause there is a light, in your eyes, in your eyes. there is a light, in your eyes, in your eyes. breathe in, and breathe out. breathe in, and breathe out. breathe in, and breathe out. breathe in, and breathe out...look left look right, to the moon in the night. and everything under the stars is in your arms. cause there is a light, in your eyes in your eyes. there is a light, in your eyes, in your eyes. there is a light, in your eyes, in your eyes. there is a light, in your eyes, in your eyes. " ― mat kearney, breathe in breathe out

"born and raised under the rain and a western wind. felt the weight trying to live up to they say i am. is it any wonder shame comes calling my first name? is there any question if i'm the one here left to blame? it's the same fight all over again. it's the same bite breaking on my skin. it's the same light when you let me in, you let me in you let me in. you are the air i breathe. you are the song i bleed. you are the war that i can't win. this is my white flag in the wind. every word you speak, is the air i breathe. i feel like a contender. bringing my fist to a pistol war. i surrender that i need you now and you've loved me more. it's like an ocean over my head and I'm under the light. in slow motion tonight. it's the same fight all over again. it's the same bite breaking in my skin. it's the same light when you let me in, you let me in you let me in. you are the air i breathe. you are the song i bleed. you are the war that i can't win. this is my white flag in the wind. every word you speak is the air i breathe. i hear you calling my name out (name out). is there any other way now (way now)? i hear you calling my name out name out. i got nothing left to say now (say now), but you are the air i breathe. you are the song i bleed. you are the war that i can't win. this is my white flag in the wind. every word you speak is the air i breathe... you are the air i breathe. you are the song i bleed. you are the war that i can't win. this is my white flag in the wind. every word you speak is the air i breathe... " ― mat kearney, air i breathe

"you...i don't know what to say, you take my breath away. you're every song i sing. you're the music that i play, and you take my breath away. you...you smile and it's okay, you take my breath away. like water from a spring on a sizzling summer day, oh you take my breath away, away...for the magic of a sunrise, only none of them will do. for you...you take my breath away and i don't know what to say, 'cause you take my breath away. 'cause you...you take my breath away and i don't know what to say, 'cause you take my breath away. oh...i say you take my breath away, yeah yeah, i say, i say, i say you take my breath away" ― rex smith, you take my breath away

"breathe air you're not used to, tread floors you don't fall through. make waves you crash a symbol hard. follow no one, always play the wrong card. waste days, in foreign places. shed lights, on your better side. reassure me that you'll wait for me, wait for me as long as it takes! and i'll hold my breath, i'll hold my breath until you see me in your dreams. we'll stay awake beneath the trees. we'll watch the buildings turn to dust. a sky of diamonds just for us. you are the risk i'll always take, the only branch i'll never break. those fears we'll blow them all way. fight fires in your best clothes, touch skin with your eyes closed. chase thunder with the volume down. pack a suitcase, wonder to the next town. force quit, on your losing streak. solve a riddle in a magazine, be tongue in cheek. tell me that we're still too young, that we're still too young and i'll bite my tongue until you see me in your dreams, we'll stay awake beneath the trees. we'll watch the buildings turn to dust. a sky of diamonds just for us. you are the risk i'll always take. the only branch I'll never break. those fears we'll blow them all way. i'm here, i'm here to save you. no fall, i will swim to save you. until you see me in your dreams, we'll stay awake beneath the trees. we'll watch the buildings turn to dust a sky of diamonds just for us. you are the risk I'll always take, the only branch i'll never break. those fears we'll blow them all way" ― ellie goulding, i'll hold my breath

"every breath you take. every move you make. every bond you break. every step you take, i'll be watching you. every single day. every word you say. every game you play. every night you stay. i'll be watching you...oh, can't you see you belong to me? how my poor heart aches with every step you take. every move you make. every vow you break. every smile you fake. every claim you stake, i'll be watching you...since you've gone, i've been lost without a trace. i dream at night i can only see your face. i look around but it's you i can't replace. i feel so cold and i long for your embrace. ikeep crying: baby, baby please...oh, can't you see you belong to me? how my poor heart aches with every step you take. every move you make. every vow you break. every smile you fake. every claim you stake, i'll be watching you. every move you make, every step you take, i'll be watching you, i'll be watching you. every game you play, every night you stay, i'll be watching you, i'll be watching you. every single day, every word you say, every game you play, every night you stay, i'll be watching you. every move you make, every vow you break, every smile you fake, every claim you stake, i'll be watching you. every single day, every word you say, every game you play, every night you stay, i'll be watching you" ― emison, every breath you take (modern sound police cover)

"every breath you take. every move you make. every bond you break. every step you take, i'll be watching you. every single day. every word you say. every game you play. every night you stay. i'll be watching you...oh, can't you see you belong to me? how my poor heart aches with every step you take. every move you make. every vow you break. every smile you fake. every claim you stake, i'll be watching you...since you've gone, i've been lost without a trace. i dream at night i can only see your face. i look around but it's you i can't replace. i feel so cold and i long for your embrace. ikeep crying: baby, baby please...oh, can't you see you belong to me? how my poor heart aches with every step you take. every move you make. every vow you break. every smile you fake. every claim you stake, i'll be watching you. every move you make, every step you take, i'll be watching you, i'll be watching you. every game you play, every night you stay, i'll be watching you, i'll be watching you. every single day, every word you say, every game you play, every night you stay, i'll be watching you. every move you make, every vow you break, every smile you fake, every claim you stake, i'll be watching you. every single day, every word you say, every game you play, every night you stay, i'll be watching you" ― ub40, every breath you take (reggae police cover)

"i'm short of breath, standing next to you. i'm out of my depth at this altitude. like the world makes sense from your window seat. you are beautiful like I've never seen...go ahead and laugh. even if it hurts. go ahead and pull the pin. what if we could risk everything we have and just let our walls cave in..i'm short of breath, standing next to you. i'll be the dangerous ledge, you be the parachute. blue and green below is a masterpiece. but you are beautiful like i've never seen...go ahead and laugh, even if it hurts, go ahead and pull the pin. what if we could risk everything we have and just let our walls cave in... .go ahead and laugh. even if it hurts. go ahead and pull the pin. what if we could risk everything we have and just let our walls cave in. let our walls cave in, let our walls cave in" ― sleeping at last, heart

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ABOUT THE IMPRESSION

"feel the wisdom of the chill. take a deep breath, breathe in the cool brisk air, and listen, and witness...for in that moment, we can see the air around us, and watch our breath as we exhale, be reminded even the air is not invisible, it is real, it is life. and it is okay to not know what to do. just empower our self with the hope of taking a new step forward, take another deep breath and and take that step not knowing, be astonished with our life and where it will lead us again, cherish each breath as it might be your last...and never forget we are still blessed to be alive and breathing in this beautiful world" ― bodhinku, when in the chill

this impression was captured on the wet sands of the beach 11 mins after the sun ducked down beneath the western horizon of the pacific ocean at bandon oregon, on december 28, 2020...this composition is comprised of one long exposure of the seascape (f/11@33mm for 111 secs, iso-64) merged with a shorter star exposure (f'/2.8@33mm for 11 secs, iso-3600)...

in my photography, i always use filters to create longer exposure effects, saturate colors naturally, and balance the light in my composition in-camera...i often use as many as four filters at time, and i always use at least one filter...

and to get the effects and balance i was looking for in the seascape exposure of this composition (f/11@33mm for 111 secs, iso-64), i used two progreyusa filters: first, a 3.0 nd progrey antarctica filter to bring the light in the image down 10 stops and permit for the long 1 min and 51 second exposure which in turn creates this dreamy effect with motion blur of the waves and naturally saturate all the blues, yellows, and reds in the image; second, combined with a 0.9 reverse gnd progrey aurora filter to help balance in-camera overall the image the way i envisioned it...in this case, to stop down the much brighter light in the sky, the remnants of the sunset, at the horizon level of the image an extra three stops and help permit details in the reflections of the wet sand on the beach come out better in the exposure...

i also used the progrey g-120z magnetic holder to hold the filters and secure the filters to my nikon d810 with a nikon nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8...

however, for the separate exposure of the stars (f/2.8@33mm for 11secs, iso-3600), no filters were necessary, so none were used...

and with this being a long exposure of 111 seconds merged with a second exposure of 15 seconds, a stable and sturdy tripod is an absolute necessity in order to keep the image sharp...for this i used my faithful induro phq3 series 5-way panhead mounted on my dolica tripod 70" carbon fiber tripod, because it is sturdy, tall, and perfectly compact for travelling

i wish to openly thank my sponsors who have always supported me through both the good and bad times...for truly this long exposure impression would not be possible without the use of my faithful induro phq3 series 5-way panhead mounted on my dolica tripod 70" carbon fiber tripod, in combination with the progreyusa filters which i use with every photo i take...

"if nothing else...if i open my eyes, if i cry, if i think, if i sigh, if i giggle, if i dance, if i love, if i breathe, then i have lived a full days worth of life...nothing is wasted, nothing" ― bodhinku, if nothing else

"contemplate without thinking. be certain only in your uncertainty. stop the world. slow down everything. let it all be. shut off the noise. relax. seize this moment. reconnect. feel and sense what surrounds you. listen to all the colors of light whisper as they envelope you. see the melody and harmony that float about unnoticed. taste the solitude of all this wonderment. smell the beautiful silence. now discover your peaceful serenity. then, reach out and touch your faith with all your senses. this is my world. awaken!" ― bodhinku, my world

"my photography is my way of keeping a diary" ― bodhinku, my diary

i leave you today wishing that bright joy and spiritual peace fill your life...

imploring you to make every moment count, no matter what, always and forever,

for that is the only thing that truly matters...

and above all else,

i hope this message and impression find you well.

namaste,

bodhi

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please visit me at:

http://www.bodhismith.com
http://www.instagram.com/bodhismith
http://www.facebook.com/Bodhi.Impressions

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