Take a deep breath in...hold 3 seconds...exhale...hold 3 seconds...inhale and repeat.
Sometimes the simplest way to relax is to just breathe. We often forget this simple task. Our bodies are doing this every day, yet we often don’t even realize it’s happening. Thank goodness for involuntary body functions, right? If we had to constantly realize and control our breathing we wouldn't have time to focus on anything else. Our bodies are constantly working, thinking, and doing the biggest job of all-living-and without breathing, we could not be here. There are many times I find myself holding my breath or pausing like my mind-body connection misfired for a moment and I forgot to check-in.
We often restrict our breath in moments of stress or when we are exerting ourselves. Have you noticed when you're exercising or reaching a point of fatigue you just stop breathing like it's going to make the moment easier? I am a yoga teacher and one of the most frequent reminders in class is to "remember to breathe". When I give this reminder to students in the class, I say it because I am noticing how I am holding my breath. It’s like my cue to remind others because they are likely doing it too. It's interesting that we must remind ourselves to breathe; the most natural, innate function of our body to survive. We often need this reminder throughout the day and learning breathing techniques can help to regulate the breath and create a learned pattern we can use any time.
The breath is the very source of all life and allows us to not just live, but to focus on the way we are living. When you feel yourself losing it or unable to control something happening around you; remember you CAN control your breath. My anxiety has been more relevant in this time of life than ever before. I try to remember what I do have control over; my breath and my ability to relax my body and mind. My most visited exercise is deep, long belly breaths. Deep belly breathing is the precursor to meditation but also to many other forms of relaxation. When you feel panic approaching or even intense physical activity, deep breaths get us through. I love belly breathing. Belly breathing allows me to fully analyze my body and create a rhythm of harmony. Eventually, this rhythm becomes mindless and effortless; sometimes transforming into meditation. Deep belly breaths allow more efficient oxygen to flow through the body than a big breath, focused in the ribs. You feel the tummy engage and fill completely and then contract as the breath fully leaves the body. This action relaxes the autonomic nervous system and calms the body down to a truly relaxed state. Try taking in a deep belly breath as you read now....hold it for three, two, one...release it completely... hold for three, two, one...take another deep breath in.
Repeat this over and over until you feel yourself releasing and relaxing to complete calmness. This is a space I visit when I am having a hard time falling asleep at night; sometimes coupled with counting sheep, I can fall asleep in just a few minutes.
Another technique is Pranayama. This is a wonderful technique taught in yoga and originates from ancient India. Prana means life. Pranayama is life breath. This technique is performed sitting upright in a comfortable position and using your thumb and middle finger on one hand (traditionally left for females and right for males). You place your thumb over one nostril and middle finger on the other. In a calm sequence, release a finger over one nostril (again, left first for females and right first for males), take an inhale through that side, exhale out the same side, then switch the fingers closing that nostril. Take a deep breath out of the other side, exhale it out, then switch the fingers again. Like this, the breath is slowed and progressively allows more oxygen to the brain and circulatory system creating deep relaxation and efficient breathing. Research shows, after regular use of Pranayama, one is able to decrease the need for oxygen by 50% allowing for more efficient breath patterns.
When our thoughts are focused on this harmonic system we ultimately transform into a meditative state sometimes without even realizing it's happening. This increased oxygen allows for body cell repair, strengthening the core muscles, of course increasing lung capacity, and increasing oxygen to the brain. We create more red blood cells and increase the cells that work to fight off disease. We become stronger at taking control over our fight or flight response and therefore the release of cortisol, our stress hormone that can cause an array of health problems like belly fat and a weakened immune system.
I often 'check in' with myself throughout the day. Am I still here? How does my body feel? Where has my mind been wandering the past few hours? Am I present?... These are the perfect time to use one of these techniques and put their effects into good use. Remember to check in with yourself, do that full body scan, ask those questions, and come back to your center. This doesn't need to be reserved for stressful situations but should be done many times throughout the day for the greatest benefit. I really believe that when we come back to awareness and remember we are in this body, this mind just like everyone else; we feel how connected we all are. Breath helps us see this connection. The earth is constantly exchanging from itself. The trees, plants, and water give off oxygen for other life to live. We, in turn, offer our carbon dioxide back to the earth. This exchange is a beautiful thing and shows just how connected everything is. Perhaps, the breath you just took came from me. Perhaps it came from someone you have disagreed with before. Let us all acknowledge our shared space and remember no matter what, we are the same...just trying to live and love this life, breathing through every moment.
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