REST/RESTORE - GEAR 2
Do you find yourself running around all day taking care of work, home, kids, parents... Do you find yourself holding your breath? Do you find yourself pressing your tongue against the top of your mouth? Our minds can jump around to so many thoughts we can actually forget to breathe!
And why is this bad?
We are a society constantly “on the go.” Without taking time to rest or relax, we can be elevating cortisol, and other stress hormones! This, in turn, can have negative consequences, that lead to many problems, such as digestive issues, immune, thyroid, reproduction, weight gain, blood sugar imbalances, sleep problems...and that’s just the beginning!
Let's start with breathing!
Let’s calm down! Remember the YOU you’re trying to care for and be a friend to? Take some time for you! Breathing can be a luxury you don’t realize you have!
Breathe in health. Breathe out negativity, pain and frustrations. Remember back in the day when our teachers and parents would tell us to “count to ten” when we were angry or frustrated? That was most likely about breathing out frustration, slowing ourselves down, and breathing in patience and health!
It’s time now, to learn new habits, right? Realize the benefits of taking a few times each day to practice and be mindful of your breathing!
Get quiet and slow down for a few minutes. Concentrate on breathing, rather than the long list of tasks waiting for you. If you’re concerned about the time set an alarm, and let the job of time-keeping be released from your mind. Don’t be peeking at the clock! Meditating and peeking at the clock equals “multi-tasking”! That is NOT the formula for health!
Slow down the anxiety that comes from a busy body and a busy mind.
Rest/Restore by practicing proper breathing this week.
Try this Breathing Exercise:
Sit in a firm chair, on the edge with your back tall, and head held high. Put your hands in your lap or on your thighs
Roll your shoulders back a few times then relax them.
Make sure that your tongue is relaxed at the bottom of your mouth and not pressed to the roof of it! Check this often, as it is easy to get tense and find it pressed up. This is a sure sign of tension and stress!
Breathe in slowly for (4) seconds through your nose (focusing on expanding your belly, not your chest).
Hold this breath for (4) seconds.
Exhale deeply for (8) seconds. Pushing your belly button to the back, like it is touching your spine
Repeat for a few minutes
Practice this technique often:
Try it throughout the day
Try this first thing when you wake up in the morning
Try it after lunch, for 5-10 minutes (Try it outside, in the sunshine on a nice day or under a cool shade tree. Close your eyes and notice every sound you hear.)
Try it during moments of anxiety or stress
Try it after dinner, when the kitchen is cleaned up
Try it just before going to bed
This is a very healthy exercise for becoming more mindful about your breathing. Practice this as often as you are able. Keep mindful about breathing, and how important, and relaxing, it can be.
