“Listening to them, one image that came to mind was that of the polevaulter. At first, the athlete needs a pole to propel him or herself to a great height. At a certain point, the athlete has to release the pole and just jump.”
– Larry Rosenberg, Three Steps to Awakening
This is an excellent analogy for any breath-focused contemplative practice (breathwork, meditation, yoga, etc.)
The breath is like the pole, boosting us to a great height where we can “let go” and discover our full potential.