..... and breathe
Breath is very important to our whole lives, but because it is mainly a subconscious activity we don't give it much thought. A study from March 2017 has discovered that our brain has a connection between our breathing and our brain rhythm and that circuit has an internal pace maker. This means that we have a way of influencing our brain rhythm …. OUR BREATH. Slower controlled breath creates a calmer brain. This is probably why there are such large benefits from meditation and yoga, where there is a focus on your breath.
In fact just today I was travelling to a meeting and I could feel my anxiety level rising. At that point I checked my breathing and there it was; shallow and high in my chest. As soon as I realised this I took a good deep belly breath, exhaled slowly in a controlled way and felt myself relax.
We need a good breathing discipline to nourish our body and mind. As children we breathe deeply and naturally, but as we grow we lose this natural breath. Our breathing becomes shallow meaning we keep a large amount of stagnant air in our lungs. Every part of our body needs oxygen to survive and if we are not taking in enough then something has to miss out.
It is easy to improve your breathing. A very good and simple place to start is to be aware of it. Just a reminder several times a day to tune into your breath can have great benefits.
You can also lay on your back with your hand on your stomach and feel your abdomen rise and fall with each breath. This is done breathing naturally, forced breath is unhelpful. Concentrate on your out breath or exhale.
You could try a yoga breathing technique like https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/stress-anxiety/breathing-three-exercises/ Remember to build up to the full exercise if at first you find it challenging.
You could also take up meditation.
One thing to remember is, if you notice a sensation in your body as I did with the anxiety, check how you are breathing.
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