Pause: Breathe Like A Wave
When I was fresh out of college, my husband Drew and I moved onto a small two-acre heirloom raspberry farm in Carmel Valley, California. What was meant to be a one-year pause while I applied to graduate programs in international relations unexpectedly turned into something much bigger.
To make ends meet, Drew and I began farming specialty baby salad greens to sell alongside our berries. Even though they were growing right outside our kitchen window, after long days of hard work, we were too tired to harvest and wash them for our own meals.
Eventually, we began to prep a large batch of greens every Sunday, packing them in one bag for each day of the week. Suddenly, we were thrilled to be able to enjoy salads every day in just seconds. In 1986, we decided to take the leap and try bringing our bagged salads to market.
It turned out that we were the first people to successfully sell packaged salads at retail. Our specialty greens were tasty, beautiful, and convenient—and our business exploded incredibly quickly. But that growth was accompanied by extremely long hours, continuous hiring and training of new employees, and constant hurdles to overcome. I was only in my early twenties, and the pressure was intense.
Myra and Drew on Oprah in 2003 as the people who invented packaged salads
There were moments when my nervous system reached its limit, and I would suddenly feel overwhelmed by anxiety. When that happened, there was only one place where I could find solace: the Pacific Ocean, just fifteen minutes away.
Abandoning my work in the middle of the day, I’d escape to the beach. As I sat on the sand communing with the waves as they thundered forward and then retreated over and over again, my breath would slow, and I could finally settle down. In the presence of something so vast, powerful, and glorious, my relentless to-do list no longer felt so pressing. Connecting to something far greater than myself enabled me to exhale, relax, and replenish my inner reserves.
Now, when I practice “Wave Breathing”—the new “Take A Moment” micro-meditation I’m sharing today—it’s as if I’m being transported right back to those tranquil feelings that I first discovered four decades ago. This 2-minute practice that mimics the ocean’s cadence is a gentle and effective way to reset the nervous system, quiet the mind, and foster a sense of well-being.
I invite you to close your eyes and use your breath and imagination to let the tide come in and fill you with a sense of peace, presence and belonging.
