just breathe

Do you feel like you are burning the candle on both ends?  If you are stuck in the daily grind and feel like you need relief, then I think this article will help you.

Deep breathing is a simple and effective tool to combat stress, anxiety, and fatigue.  It is not just relaxing-it’s incredibly healing.  It allows you to switch from a sympathetic response (think the bear chasing after you) to a parasympathetic response (think rest and digest).  In our stress-ridden, busy, frenetic, plugged-in world, we tend to operate as if a bear is chasing after us all the time.  Dedicating time to deep belly breathing allows us to retrain our sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, which in turn improves our stress response.

Practice this exercise on a daily basis:

The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise (adapted from Dr. Weil)

The key to this exercise is to remember the numbers 4, 7 and 8. It’s not important to focus on how much time you spend in each phase of the breathing activity, but rather that you get the ratio correct.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Sit up straight
2. Place the tip of your tongue up against the back of your front teeth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process
3. Breathe in silently through your nose to the count of four
4. Hold your breath to the count of seven
5. Exhale through your mouth to the count of eight, making an audible “woosh” sound
6. That completes one full breath. Repeat the cycle another three times, for a total of four breaths

The benefits of this simple practice are enormous and give you access to instant healing and relaxation.

Share this article with anyone you know that needs relief from the daily grind or is stressed out- this exercise is a game-changer.