Road rage

Using breath to harness the raw power of emotion.

When people on the road cut me off, or almost cause an accident, or make me angry with their driving in some obnoxious way, here's a little thing I like to do that seems to help.

First, I take a deep breath. Our emotional status on a moment-to-moment basis is more closely tied to our breathing than most people imagine.

Next, I hold the breath. Keeping that breath held in lets the righteous resentment and sense of injustice simmer and concentrate. Again, the breath is key.

Then, just when I'm on the verge of passing out from lack of oxygen, and I've allowed the minor, traffic-inspired anger to blossom into a hateful mass of molten fury in the pit of my stomach, I let the breath out in the form of an extended bellowing cry of rage and pain. At this point, the breath must be forceful, yet controlled, and preferably accompanied by a rabid spray of frothy saliva.

Finally, with the energy I've garnered from this humble breathing exercise, I kick out at the door, buckling the metal outward and sending it flying from its hinges, as I tear away my seat belt as though it were made of crepe paper and leap from the moving car, bounding about the roadway with superhuman dexterity and strength, overturning cars and caving in windshields with my bare, bloody fists. Eventually the wave of inhuman destruction reaches a crescendo, at which point I leap into the air, taking flight and casting down death from above in the form of crimson laser beams issuing from my eyes, searing, rending, and scorching the unfortunate drivers below, considerate and inconsiderate alike.

The emotions that we harbor are powerful forces indeed, but few make any real effort to harness them for their own ends. This, however, does not mean that it cannot be done. The secret lies in the breath.

© 2014 Jason Macias