Breathing

As time passes, I continue to learn the multitude of benefits of practicing mindfulness and self-awareness. Each of us learns to practice this in different forms, but commonly, we can accomplish this by incorporating relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, into our daily routine. Culturally, we are not encouraged to do this because we are caught up in our endless to do lists that constantly lead us to live in the future, instead of the here and now. We often don't pay attention to ourselves or our bodies until we collapse into bed at night or are gifted with a pause in our day. Even then, we still get caught up in our minds by cycling through our anxieties and stressors from the day, which fuels our feelings of fatigue and chronic stress.

By practicing mindfulness and self-awareness, I believe that a person is better able to access and learn to act in response to one's needs. Also, we are better able to manage our stress and energy allowing us to choose where our energy goes instead of being automatically absorbed by our stress response. As stated in The Complete Guide to Pilates, Yoga, Meditation, and Stress Relief, breathing is a very effective way to calm the body, especially when under stress. Poor breathing or shallow, rapid breathing can lead to fatigue, palpitations, and panic attacks as well as limits the amount of oxygen that circulates to the body tissue. Learning how to breathe with awareness can calm the body and the mind.

How to Breathe

In The Complete Guide to Pilates, Yoga, Meditation, and Stress Relief, it is stated that in order to improve your breathing you must first become aware of it. If your breathing is either too fast or too shallow, abdominal breathing can help teach a person to breathe more naturally.

There are 3 steps in abdominal breathing:

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes open or closed. Place one hand on your chest and the other over your diaphragm just below the breastbone. Breathe in slowly through your nose, and try to breathe so that the hand on your chest remains relatively still.
2. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then breathe out slowly through your nose. Release as much air as possible.
3. Repeat for a few minutes or until you feel calm.

By simply slowing down and increasing the depth of our breath, we become more self-aware and are better able to practice self-regulation. Just as anything else, it is through practice that we master the skills that can give us long-term benefits of improved health with decreased tension and stress. Next time you are waiting at a red light, finishing up your lunch break, standing in an elevator, or finding yourself in a small break from the rush of life, I challenge you to take a breath and see what your body has to share with you.