the first breath 2024 — Natalie Schuler

The Gateway

acrylic on raw canvas
60 x 35 inches
2024

I enter,
Unsure where I will go,
My breath greets me,
Guiding me
On a journey,
Whispering
Of uncharted realms
Waiting to be discovered,
All with my own breath.

Photo Credit: Rachel Topham Photography

The First Breath

acrylic on raw canvas
48 x 36 inches
2024

Can this precious breath be remembered?
So pure, so honest,
It welcomes me here,
To this earth,
To this life,
With each inhale and exhale,
I am reminded,
Of the gift of existence,
Of the life I chose.

Transcending

acrylic on raw canvas
48 x 36 inches
2024

Two opposing sides,
Compressing,
Pushing past
Life's discomforts,
Traversing beyond
My beliefs' confines.

Dynamic Shifts

acrylic on raw canvas
48 x 36 inches
2024

The power to shift,
To change, To evolve.
With each fire breath I breathe,
I ignite the potential,
Creating a path within me,
For transformation and growth.

Photo Credit: Rachel Topham Photography

Rhythm Of My Breath

acrylic on raw canvas
48 x 36 inches
2024

A unique pace,
That is mine alone,
I listen, I feel,
This rhythm is my own.

Photo Credit: Rachel Topham Photography

A Softer Breath

acrylic on raw canvas
40 x 40 inches
2024

An easeful breath,
Layers upon layers,
Of softness,
Slowly building,
Challenging expectations,
Until they unravel,
In the gentle embrace,
Of each exhale.

Being Breathed

acrylic on raw canvas
40 x 40 inches
2023

In that moment where my body
Takes over,
I surrender,
No longer holding or fighting,
The natural expression,
Of my breath,
A conscious, connected flow,
Emerges.

Contracting To Expand

acrylic on raw canvas
40 x 40 inches
2024

The parts of me
Contract,
Releasing the old,
Each exhale a shedding
Of what no longer serves,
Creating space,
For the new,
To be inhaled.

Photo Credit: Rachel Topham Photography

Transforming The Pain

acrylic on raw canvas
40 x 40 inches
2024

Breathing into the pain
Allows shifts to occur,
Confronting the pain,
With my breath,
Extracting the memory
With each exhale,
Inhaling peace in return,
Repeating the cycle,
As often as I need.

Photo Credit: Rachel Topham Photography

Subconscious Shifts

acrylic on raw canvas
40 x 30 inches
2023

As I tune into my breath,
I feel the depth,
Welcoming this fullness to take over,
Allowing space,
To shift stored patterns.

I Can Go Deeper

acrylic on raw canvas
40 x 30 inches
2024

As I breathe deeply.
My breath takes me deeper,
No longer confined to the surface,
I willingly dive into the depths,
Where discomfort becomes my guide,
Welcoming me in,
As I breathe deeply,
I find liberation,
In curiosity.

Hearing Myself Breathe

acrylic on raw canvas
40 x 30 inches
2023

A lull in my breath,
I notice the subtle shifts,
As I adjust,
The intake of air,
The release,
The gentle hiss,
Lulls me into a tranquil sleep.

Photo Credit: Rachel Topham Photography

Life Energy

acrylic on raw canvas
40 x 30 inches
2024

Oh life!
How available you are,
If only I had seen it sooner,
To deeply breathe,
Is an act,
Saying yes to this life,
The quality of breath,
Matters,
In each inhale,
I embrace the essence of existence,
Each exhale,
I release the burdens of the past.

A Building Inhale

acrylic on raw canvas
30 x 24 inches
2024

Slowly the air expands me,
Breathe in softly,
Gently,
I feel the expansion,
Of my whole being,
As each breath brings life,
Into every bit of me.

Photo Credit: Rachel Topham Photography

The In-Between

acrylic on raw canvas
30 x 24 inches
2024

The space that exists between,
Holds a moment of rest,
A pause before the cycle of breath resumes,
Time itself slows to honour the transition,
Between.

Suspension

acrylic on raw canvas
30 x 24 inches
2024

I sense the layers within,
Pressing as I exhale,
The absence felt where once there was air,
Every fibre of me yearns to inhale once more.

The First Breath

My relationship with my breath began at seventeen when I started taking yoga classes. Before then, I never thought much about breathing, it just happened, and I took breathing for granted. Several years after my first yoga class, I started an active meditation practice. Studying as a breathwork practitioner has positively impacted my life and I am keen to share my journey with the breath.

Breathing happens all day long; the connection between inhaling and exhaling is simple, yet everyone experiences it differently. We need breath to live, and the quality of our breath speaks to the quality of life we live. At any moment, when we start to tune into our breath, we return to the present moment.

This series of work celebrates and explores the beauty and magic of breath. It gives the viewer space and time to reflect on their relationship to inhaling, exhaling and feeling the sensations that come from the expansion and contraction of the body as the breath moves into their lungs and beyond. Abstract forms come together to symbolize the movement of breath in the body. A dance of the breath occurs in each painting, depicting the dynamic energy of the life force within us.