Your Breath is an Elixir

Burned out, overworked, stressed and overwhelmed are all adjectives I hear on a regular basis from clients, friends and sometimes myself to describe our state of being. In a productivity driven, fast moving culture, it is easy to fall into this cycle. The pattern of essentially pushing until you crash, recovering and then getting back up and doing it over again. Clearly this is unsustainable and bears consequences on the body.

The perfect solution would be to have the ability to overhaul your life completely, work fewer hours, hire more help and have more time for self-care and fulfilling activities. Perhaps in time, with baby steps, we can find our way closer to our own version of this. In the meantime, it is essential to stop the pendulum from swinging to the extremes.

I have found that observing subtle cues my body gives me alerts me to when I need to pause, even for 3 minutes and re-center. It really doesn’t take long, but these little meditation moments throughout the day can dramatically shift the toll stress takes on our bodies. Hints from the body may include:

  • Neck and shoulder tension
  • Headache
  • Frequent yawning or sighing
  • Impatience
  • Short fuse or temper
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Anxiety
  • Excess sweating
  • Procrastination

One of the most effective tools I know for creating a noticeable shift in how I feel and my perspective is to engage my breath. Most adult Americans breathe 15 cycles per minute. By slowing your breath down and using a two to one breath, you can slow that to 6 cycles per minute. This changes your heart rate, blood pressure, digestive capacity, immune function, hormone secretions, nervous system function and overall perspective. You can actually reduce cortisol production and help stabilize blood sugar by applying these practices 4-6 times per day, and it only takes minutes.

A 2 to 1 breath is placing focus on slowing your inhale and making your exhale twice as long as your inhale. It can take a little practice to get used to, but just a few times a day for a week and you’ll have it down. The beauty of breathing practices is they can be done anywhere, anytime in any situation and it requires no tools, pills, props or payment. It is simply reconnecting to the wisdom of the body and restoring ourselves to a state of being where we come closer to thriving.

 

To learn more about the wonders of the breath and watch our breathing meditations, please join our Taproot Community and become a member. Contact us to learn more https://www.taprootenergetics.com/contact/

 

In the meantime, to your health..