Sunday Essentials: pause & breathe

Today’s #SundayEssentials is to pause and breathe.

Why?

Life has been hard, chaotic, stressful. Rising stress = rising cortisol levels. This creates a cycle of freeze, flee or fight.

Movement can release some of that adrenaline coursing through your system, but it takes breath-work to restore balance.

Long, slow, wide breaths where we fill ourselves up into our bellies and exhale slowly. As slowly as we can.

Inhale through the nose, exhaling twice as long, also through the nose. This may be a challenge for many of us as stress brings our breathing up high in the chest, so it can feel awkward. Do it anyway.

If you’re really having a hard time understanding wide and deep breaths vs every day breathing, relax on your back and place a hand on your chest + one in your belly and breathe normally a bit. Now, inhale (nose) slowly - a few more seconds until you feel your rib cage expand (move out on the sides). Exhale slowly through the nose.

Now, try it again and go deeper - feeling your belly rise and your ribs “go wide.”

You can remain lying down or sit up, but continue this slow, deep + wide inhale through the nose with an even longer, slower exhale.

As you inhale, imagine peace, light and love coursing from your lungs thru your entire body...as you exhale, envision all strain, fear, stress, anger, frustration, pain, grief being washed away by the breath of Love.

At first, you may only be able to do this a few moments so do a couple sessions a day. Especially, if you’re feeling stressed. Try to work-up to 11 minutes to really tone the vagus nerve and reset your body, mind and spirit.

This is a tool you can use anywhere at anytime and it helps our energy system, body and mind rest fully + build resilience. If you are pregnant or have medical issues - please consult your physician.

FYI- if you’ve tested positive for covid, deep breathing exercises like this are even more crucial to maintaining lung health + reducing fear.

Questions? Email me at AlongNourishedPath@gmail.com.

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