Stress and Breath

Wow, I am not kidding when I say I am a complete dummy when it comes to technology these days. It is frustrating to do just the smallest tasks when creating my new website and social media. It not only makes me feel ignorant, but it makes my anxiety sky-high!!  The blood is boiling, I am irritated, angry, and ready to give up. And this is just one of my stresses. I still must plan my themed yoga classes for this month, practice them, do my normal day-to-day household things, finish my ever-growing to-do list, and go to work at my other occupation. Just a normal day in the life of every person on earth, right? Exactly!! All too often we allow the stresses of daily life to take over our physical and mental well-being. Once the cortisol levels start to rise, it seems there is just no going back, and in turn, it wreaks havoc on our bodies.

Have you heard the phrase, “Quality of life is based on the quality of emotions”? Our emotions that come from stress play a vital role in our overall well-being.  

So, what can we do to help ourselves in these situations? Is it possible to keep our stress at safe levels? We will ALWAYS have stress…but how we deal with it is of the utmost importance. “The Quality of our breath is directly related to the quality of our experience”. Read that again!!  Our breath is our life. Not just in the sense that we physically can’t live without it. But, it serves so many deeper purposes when we learn to control it, connect to it, and stay constantly aware of it’s presence. With the knowledge and practice of this, we can unleash a powerful healing experience. Every breath is a chance to start fresh….inhale the peace, exhale the worries.  

I invite you today to take a few moments and find the awareness of your breath.  Wherever you are, use that place to become grounded. 

Sit up nice and tall, straight spine to allow the breath to entire all spaces in the upper body. Or if possible lay flat on your back, pillow resting under your head or a blanket or bolster under your knees.  Giving permission to close your eyes, and slowly move your awareness inside.  Placing one hand on the heart and one hand on the belly. Take a moment to notice the air flowing gently in and out of the body. When you are relaxed and ready, take a couple of nice deep inhales in through the nose, exhaling out through the mouth with a nice lion’s breath release.  Begin to count your breath with counts of 4, being mindful of slow and controlled movement. Inhale for 1-2-3-4, exhale for 4-3-2-1. Repeat this 5 times at your own pace, allowing the breath to enter very deeply into the lower belly. If you need more here, please continue your counts of 4 but if you are ready, take a couple more deep inhales through the nose, releasing the breath out the mouth as if you are a fierce lion.  Calm the mind, calm the breath for a few more moments. Scan your body…. How do you feel? Do you feel different than when you started? Are you feeling a little more grounded or have a sense of peace? Has your body become lighter, and your mind more at ease? Any change or awareness here is an excellent step towards learning about your body and how the breath relates to it.

Using breathing exercises even for just a few minutes out of your day, can lead to less stress, less fatigue, less head fog, and more clarity, more peace, more calmness, and more energy. Who doesn’t want to start, maintain, and end their day with healthy cortisol levels and a body and mind full of peace?  I hope you have found this enlightening and will have some time to try and implement it into your daily routine. Yoga and yogic breathing have many benefits for healing the body and mind. I encourage you to start your journey now or find your way back to the practice. Show yourself some much-needed love and kindness.  

“Are you breathing a little and calling it a life?” -Mary Oliver