This post is a follow-up to my post about the importance of breathing, because there is so much to share on this subject! A few months ago, I heard an interview with one of my yoga and recovery mentors, Tommy Rosen, in which Tommy states that “breath is the currency of transformation.” I couldn’t get that idea out of my head, and thought about how incredibly true that is. Our breath, more than any other bodily function, can change our state of mind or physicality within seconds. It’s one of the only functions that is both automatic and that we can control. How cool is that?
By first focusing on, then changing our breathing, we can actually relax our brain (and body) in times of stress, overwhelm, or anxiety. We can use our breath to surf through cravings for food, alcohol, self-harm or other impulses until they’re gone (what I like to call “riding the wave”). We can almost instantly create desirable states such as contentment, gratitude, or relaxation.
I detailed how to do one of the simplest and most effective breathing techniques in another post, but today I wanted to share another favorite breathing exercise.
I love this one because it not only creates a sense of physical and mental relaxation, but it also cultivates feelings of connection and gratitude. It focuses on two of our body’s “control centers,” our gut and our heart, and serves to activate our parasympathetic nervous system (and quieting down the sympathetic nervous system, responsible for our stress response) in the midst of our hectic and often overwhelming lives. This is a great way to start your morning, and can also be used throughout the day in times of stress.
- Set a timer on your phone for 5 or 10 minutes
- Get comfortable in a chair or seated on the floor (you can also do this laying down but be careful not to fall back asleep!)
- Close your eyes and begin to focus on your breathing, in and out through your nose. Try to inhale and exhale each for a count of 5.
- Focus on your belly and notice how it expands as you breathe in and contracts when you breathe out. (Make sure your breath is reaching your belly and not stuck in your chest!) If anything comes into your mind (and it will!), just say hello to it and let it pass like a cloud in the sky, and return your focus to your breath.
- Turn your focus to your heart area, placing a hand over your heart, and imagine your breath coming in and out of that area.
- Continue this for a few breath cycles, and think of a loved one (friend, family member, or animal) and bring to mind details of their face, their smile, and how they make you feel. Feel the love and appreciation you have for them, and imagine hugging them (or them hugging you), exchanging love energy with that embrace. Notice how it feels to have their love, their support, and their confidence in you.
- Hold onto this vision for as long as you’d like. When you’re ready, hug them good-bye and begin to focus again on breathing in and out of your heart space for at least 5 breaths.
- Slowly bring your attention back to your belly, deeply inhaling and exhaling for counts of 5 or longer.
- When you’re ready to open your eyes, do so slowly and notice how you feel. You may feel more relaxed, full of love, more present or even lighter. Take that feeling with you as you move into your day and remember it is always there, waiting for you to access it!
Check out another post on breathing, The One Little Thing That Could Change it All.
