Are You Breathing?
For the past four years I have had a wonderful meditation and breathing practice that has brought me relief from anxiety, a greater sense of calm, and increased focus in my day-to-day life. Recently I have been under a tremendous amount of stress due to all kinds of curve balls that life has been throwing at me. I realized that I had been neglecting my health and putting my mindfulness practice by the wayside when this huge surge in stress began to take over my body. I had an anxious pit in my stomach, my sleep was being interrupted, and I was starting to worry more than normal.
I quickly realized that I was uncomfortable with the direction that my mind and body were heading and thought about the last time that I had actually sat and meditated, or practiced my breathing exercises while driving in the car. I couldn’t recall. Clearly it had been too long. So I intentionally recommitted myself to my daily practice of meditation and breath work.
What I’ve learned in the past four years is that it doesn’t take long to bring back that good habit of meditating and breathing because I am quickly able to recognize how effectively it helps me manage my life in a more positive and efficient way.
Can I briefly bring in some science for those of you who love the background and the “why” for beginning, or continuing, a mindfulness practice?
Ok, so here’s what’s super cool about our brains. We have this almond shaped structure inside our brain called the amygdala. This is what tells our body when something is safe or not. If something is perceived dangerous our sympathetic nervous system starts up and puts our body into fight or flight mode. Have you ever heard of that, or felt it? That’s when our adrenaline kicks in, our hearts might race, and we may have a hard time thinking clearly. This response does serve a purpose for us. For example, if you’re standing in the middle of the street and a car rushes out of nowhere you need to jump out of the way to save your life, right? It can also kick in if we are under stress due to financial concerns, have a job layoff, or relationship troubles, etc.
However, it’s not a good idea for our body, or our overall health, if we stay in a constant state of fight or flight mode. This can lead to potential long-term health problems. (Think heart disease, anxiety, weight gain, and the list goes on.) We need to shut it off and one of the single most effective ways to do that is by beginning, or for some, picking up where we left off and continuing our breathing practice. This simple practice can help kickstart our para-sympathetic nervous system, which is another cool thing about our brain that turns OFF our sympathetic nervous system. Isn’t our body amazing? It knows exactly what to do to take care of itself. We just need to listen.
I have started to listen more intently to my body and bring myself back to the breath. It just takes a few days of discomfort and the fear that anxiety induced panic may force itself back into my life for me to wake up and realize that a garden cannot go untended for too long before the weeds start to take root.
So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with the stressors of day-to-day life and need to bring it down a notch, remember to bring it back to the breath. Even if you feel great, and want to maintain that feeling, gently remind yourself to always bring it back to the breath.
Here are two easy ways to jumpstart your breathing practice, which can be a wonderful way to begin a meditation practice when you are ready.
1. Be intentional about your breath; stop 3 times a day and focus solely on your breath for 30 seconds – 2 minutes noticing it as it moves in and out of your nostrils. After you have learned to recognize your breath move on to #2. This could be days, weeks or even months. Be patient. (This exercise can be a simple foundation for a meditation practice.)
2. If you are just beginning to incorporate a breathing practice into your life, start with inhaling to the count of 3 or 4, then exhale to the count of 6 or 8. Your exhale should be twice as long as your inhale. Go through this cycle 3 or 4 times, twice a day. You can work up to 6 or 7 counts as you practice this more. Feel free to increase the number of breaths or the amount of time that you practice as long as you feel comfortable and are not light headed or becoming anxious.
Best wishes with tending your garden. You are going to feel GREAT!
As always, I am available to talk with you regarding any questions you have about incorporating mindfulness into your daily life; trainings for businesses or schools; and one-on-one coaching. Email me at [email protected]. Visit my website, www.thevirtuouscircle.net or on Facebook at Sarah E. Dutton, The Virtuous Circle. Please be sure to like my page to see updates on my offerings.