Are you breathing?

Are you breathing?

When I’m working, I go into a very intense zone. I enjoy being super focused, but over the years, I’ve come to realize it is to the detriment of my health.  Intensity, is the state of being ‘in – tense’, i.e., tension!  My intense work nature creates tension from the tip to toes.  From a health perspective; tension creates stress, stress creates inflammation, and inflammation is the precursor to many diseases.  Deep breath…

We breathe all day long, but most of us are breathing so shallow that we are barely moving the stale air out of our lungs. According to Stella Resnick, Ph.D., author of The Pleasure Zone, “most of us are closet breathers; our exhales just seep out of us unconsciously.  It’s not even considered proper in polite company to breathe too fully.  Try taking a few sighs in a social situation just to relax.  The people you’re with will probably ask you what’s wrong.  Breathing deeply, can change your mood, your thoughts and even your energy level”.

While enjoying an acupuncture session, I struck up a conversation about my intense nature and lack of breathing.  My acupuncturist taught me this method:  Breath in deeply through your mouth, making your first breath expand your tummy.  Exhale through your nose drawing in your chest.  This is backwards from normal breathing.  Close your eyes and count, one and two, one and two…

Dr. Resnick also suggests these breathing methods:
The cleansing breath: inhale through your nose all the way up to the top of the breath and then blow out slightly puckering lips all the way down until you run out of air.

The sighing breath:  Deep inhale and a soft exhale through the mouth.  This breath releases deep tensions and emotions and can be used to highlight and enhance pleasurable feelings.

Ah, feels good! 

My solution for breaking the intense insanity – I set my alarm on my cell phone for every two hours and take a short breathing break.  My body relaxes, my spirit elevates and I’m a much more productive and happier person!

Give it a try – breath to release!