One of the most important ways I begin a life coaching session is to take intentional cleansing breaths with my client. Together we pay attention to the flow of air as it enters the body: the cool awareness in the nostrils, the sensation in the back of the throat, and the expansion of the chest and diaphragm. Following the breath as it circulates through the inner pathways slows us down. In the silence of these few moments, reflections about the day may intrude. We treat these thoughts as guests and invite them to sit still for a while, allowing our attention to readjust as we drink in the life force energy of breath. There’s a wave of relaxation at the temples, spills down to the jaw, our mouth opens in a yawn, and then tension releases in the shoulders.