Breathe

"What are we gonna learn today, sensei?" Leo asked, leading his brothers into the dojo.

The small turtles sat on the ground awaiting their teacher's instructions. "I hope it's something with kicking." Raph smiled deviously at Mikey.

"Maybe it will be backflips!" Mikey smiled, clearly not understanding Raph's crude humor, "I love backflips."

They all turned their attention to their father as he sat down in front of them. He set a stereo beside him and plugged it into the wall. "Ninjutsu is not just about fighting. It is about becoming one with the mind and body. Today, we will have a lesson on meditation."

"But I don't like meditation, sensei. It tastes icky!" Mikey made a face.

Splinter thought for a moment, confused. He realized what Mikey meant and corrected him: "No, Michelangelo. Not medication. Meditation. Medication is for when you are ill and need to feel better. Meditation is for when you need to relax."

Leo raised his hand, "sensei." He waited for his father's acknowledgement, "Is meditation like what you do all the time?"

"Yes, Leonardo. I meditate often. I will teach you the basics so you can meditate on your own." He smiled, "Now let us begin." He hit a button on the stereo and soft sounds of the ocean filled the dojo, "We will be focusing on breathing meditation today."

"But, sensei, we already know how to breathe." Raph inquired, slightly confused about the meditation aspect of ninjutsu.

Splinter lightly chuckled, "This meditation will teach you how to relax using breathing. Now, no further interruptions. We must begin." He took a deep breath and released it, "Start by getting into a comfortable position. But not too comfortable that you may fall asleep." He heard the rustling of tiny turtles on the carpet. When the rustling stopped, Splinter opened his mouth to speak, "Now close your eyes."

He waited a few seconds. His own eyes closed, he was unable to tell if they had theirs closed. "Now, slowly roll your shoulders forward, then backward. Lean your head from side to side. Relax your muscles." He slowly opened on eye to observe the young ones. They struggled to complete all the tasks. Their eyes were scrunched shut and their shoulder movements were too forced. Instead of fluidly leaning their heads side-to-side, they were acting like bobble-heads having been bobbled too hard. They were far from relaxed.

"Yame." He called out and the turtles stopped moving and opened their eyes. "Observe." Splinter showed them how they should be moving. Eyes closed as if in a constant blink. Shoulders rolling smoothly in their sockets, synchronized with each other. Head swaying like the pendulum in a grandfather clock. Calm. Fluid. Relaxed. "Now, try it again."

The boys started again. First, close eyes. Second, roll shoulders. Third, sway head. They appeared much more relaxed and much less forced. "Good, now let's continue. Don't stop."

Splinter turned the music down a notch to put it into the background, "Observe your breathing. Do not change it, just recognize it. Focus in on the in breath and the out breath." Before he could continue, he heard the forced breathing of four young turtles. "Breathe through your noses, not your mouths. Breathe as you usually do. Do not force it."

"But sensei. My nose is stuffy. I can't breathe through my nose." Donnie proclaimed.

Splinter smiled and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. He held it against Donnie's nose, "Blow." Donnie did as he was told and cleared his nose. "Very good, low let's continue, please." He sat in his meditation pose once again.

The sounds of forced breathing were replaced by the sound of nasally puffs of air. It was sufficient. "Focus only on your breathing. If you find your mind wandering, return your attention of your breaths." He inhaled and exhaled, "Notice the stages of the breath. Notice the in breath. The inhale. Notice the pause. Notice the out breath. The exhale. Notice the next pause. And so on."

"Visualize the breath as it passes through your nasal cavities, through your sinuses, and into your lungs. Notice how your chest expands as you breathe in, and falls as you breathe out. Notice how your stomach moves with each breath. Pay attention to your breathing only." All seemed to be going well. The calming sounds of the ocean played behind Splinters soothing voice. The boys appeared to be much more relaxed.

"Inhale and count in your mind. One." Splinter heard the four turtles inhale in unison. "Exhale. One." The turtles exhaled. "Inhale. One. Exhale. One." Splinter repeated the pattern many times before his sons were independently counting their breaths. He let them continue the breathing on their synchronized schedule. Hearing the peaceful sounds of ocean waves and small breaths almost soothed Splinter into a meditative state himself. It had been so many years since he had needed any calming music to relax.

"Notice your body. See how calm your breath is. Feel how relaxed your body is. We will begin to reawaken your body now. Slowly and gently," he started to emphasize the importance of slow and gentle, "notice the sounds around. Keep your eyes closed. Hear the waves, hear the wind, and hear my voice. Move to touch the floor below you. Recognize the texture. Feel your shells as they are attached to you. Recognize their presence." The turtles moaned a little, "Slowly, wiggle your fingers and toes. Shrug your shoulders." He paused. Their tiny bones cracked after being inactive for so long. "Open your eyes, but do not move. Look straight ahead. Bring the world into focus. Remain seated for a while longer." He had a hard time opening his own eyes, "Straighten out your legs and gently stretch your arms. Remain sitting." Splinter watched all of his sons. They sat there without a care in the world, looking as if they had just woken up from winter hibernation. He was sure they hardly knew what their names were in this state. But they completed his every task. And that was todays training. A relaxed body is a healthy body, and too much stress could be hazardous to their young bodies. "Very good, my sons. You are free to go play now." He turned off the player and unplugged it from the wall.

The four boys left the dojo and returned to the living room in an orderly fashion. Splinter watched as they slowly strolled back away, barely lifting their feet off the ground. He heard the click of the television and smiled, returning to his own room to meditate himself.

"IT'S MY TURN TO PICK THE SHOW, RAPHIE!"

"NO! YOU PICKED LAST TIME! REMEMBER?"

There was a shattering of glass and the sounds of two young ones fighting, followed by wailing cries.

Splinter sighed, having barely begun meditation. "So much for relaxed." He smiled standing up to resolve the conflict.