By Barb Minichiello, Certified Yoga Therapist, The Yoga Room
Breathing is the most important thing we do every day. Without our breath, there is no life. Breathing is simple. We breathe in, we breathe out. But how we do this affects our mood and our bodies. The process of breathing is inseparable from our health, consciousness, and spirit.
The way you breathe can affect your mind and your body. Breathing for stress release can reset your nervous system, release physical tension, increase clarity of thought, help to ground you, and calm your busy mind.
Take a few minutes to try this stress releasing breath. Start by watching your breath. You can be sitting, standing, or lying on your back. Be comfortable. Close your eyes and just start noticing your breathing pattern - the length, the depth, the speed. After a few minutes, focus on your inhale and your exhale. Follow the breath on the way in through your nose. Feel the breath entering your nostrils and going to the back of your throat. Picture the air moving down your wind pipe and filling your lungs. Notice the momentary pause, as the inhale becomes an exhale. When you breathe out, feel your lungs emptying, your breath moving past your throat and out through your nostrils. Feel the gentle breeze on your top lip. Notice the pause at the end of your exhale. Let your next inhale arise when it is ready.
Keep watching and listening to your breath. As you inhale, visualize yourself joyously drawing in life’s energy. On your exhale, let go of anything on your mind, including pent up emotions. Notice as your breath becomes calmer and slower, your mind becomes calmer and slower too. If your mind wanders, just bring it back focusing on your inhale and exhale. When you are done, pause and stretch. Do you feel calmer?
For more on breathing and movement, check out breathingspaceyogacreston.com. For more information on our classes and certified yoga teachers, visit theyogaroomcreston.com or The Yoga Room Facebook page. Classes include many varieties of yoga and movement, somatics, and hypopressives.
Hope to see you in class!
READ MORE: The Yoga Room: Moving Out of Pain with Breath, Movement, and Stillness
