Time Out to Breathe

Busy day? Busy week? Busy life? Take some time to breathe. Yes, you think you are breathing right now, but really Breathe. Capital B Breathe!

When clients are on the table I have them breathe deeply to help cue their bodies in to relaxing. Shallow quick breathing signals panic time to your body. Deep slow relaxed breathing means everything is okay. You are safe. Follow the wisdom in your breath. It's one of the things you can do for yourself everyday that will make an instant difference in your state of mind. There is a reason you tell someone to take a breath when they are angry. To breathe deeply when they are anxious It helps.

Try this breathing exercise. If you can, lay down the first few times you do this to get a proper feel for the technique. Put a hand on your belly and a hand on your upper chest and as you breathe in you should feel your belly expand not your chest. Now take a deep breath in, really thinking about how your lungs work, fill them completely with the breath. Take a full five seconds to fill your lungs. Then hold that breath. Try another five seconds. Then let it all out again. You got it, five seconds to fully let that breath back out. Repeat. Oh let's say...five times. Go ahead, do it right now...I'll wait for you. Now how do you feel? Can you feel yourself naturally breathing deeper now? Do this at least once a day to remind yourself to fully breathe. As you get used to the deep breathing expand the amount of time you take with each breath. Eight seconds, ten seconds. Fully inhaling and exhaling each time.

And for those of you that have a hard time unwinding to fall asleep try this tonight. After you are in bed and relaxing trying for sleep take in a full deep breath for four seconds, hold it for seven then exhale for eight. Repeat this at least 5 times. I like to imagine the day's stresses and worries leaving my body during that eight second exhale. After you are done with your deep breathing just let yourself drift, again you will naturally slow and deepen your breathing.

So relax. Take some Time Out to Breathe today.

See you soon!