We all wish there was more time in the day, don’t we! Where does the time go?? Between all your “to-dos”, “to-calls”, and “to-take-care-ofs”, it’s easy to put aside your mandatory and essential relaxation! You must move this from the “to take care of later list” to the “top of the ‘to do’ list”. Managing tension and every day stress is essential to your long term fitness success and overall piece of mind! It is so worth it! If you put breathing and relaxation on the top of your list, the rest of your list will just flow at ease! 🙂 Excessive stress can spike blood pressure, lower your body’s immunity, increase cortisol significantly and lead to sleep problems, all directly affecting your fitness and health goals!
Proper breathing is the best way to manage stress! It is actually a learned technique, and once you know how to do it, you will find yourself much more able to manage daily stressors throughout the day.
Take a few minutes each day to perform the following Breathing Techniques!
Step 1– Find a quiet place
Sit comfortably in an area that is relatively quiet. Turn off any cell phones or anything else that might disturb you.
Step 2–Sit on a towel or blanket
Place a small, folded towel under your bottom. This will make you sit up straighter, which will open up your chest and lungs and allow you to breathe deeper.
Step 3–Focus on your breathing
Close your eyes and start to focus on your breathing. Notice how deep or shallow your breaths are. Focus only on the now, only on the present moment, focus on the breath! The goal here is to focus only on your breath, pushing all other thoughts from your mind.
Step 4–Repeat for 5-10 minutes, to start, and eventually work your way up to 20 minutes of breathing meditation.
Step 5–Take a break with one slow, deep breath
For a quick boost in the middle of your day (or anytime you find your stress level rising), take one slow deep breath in, hold it for a count of four, and then exhale slowly.
Sometimes we devalue breathing because we do it subconsciously! Try to breath consciously and see how much it alters your mood and elevates stress!
We all deserve a moment of peaceful meditation and relaxation to just be!