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As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded of many warm happy family memories… and some memories of frenzied madness preparing for the holiday.
Even as a coach, mental serenity is something I work at. In the days leading up to the big day, I am grateful to my stress relieving practices to give me clarity and keep me calm during the busyness.
The anxiety and tension some of us feel in preparing for the big holiday dinner can throw us into a spin. When we are anxious or stressed, we tend to breathe shallowly or even hold our breath. We may not even be aware this is occurring. Unfortunately, this creates a vicious cycle – shallow breathing or holding your breath limits your oxygen intake; limited oxygen intake puts stress on your body.
Solution: Take a breath with deep breathing exercises. You can do a quick breathing exercise in stressful moments and, if you like, you can build your practice up to 15-20 minutes per day as a form of meditation.
Benefits: Deep breathing exercises help release tension from the body and clear the mind. The exercises can be quick, they don’t cost anything and you can do them anywhere. You can practice deep breathing exercises in a variety of settings – while sitting in traffic, standing in a lineup at the grocery store, at your desk at work, etc.
Did you know? Proper breathing is a focal point of the traditional practices of yoga and meditation.
How to do it:
- Sit – or stand – upright in a comfortable position.
- Exhale completely through your mouth and place your hands over your stomach.
- Inhale slowly through your nose, pushing your hands out with your stomach. This confirms that you are breathing properly.
- Hold your breath to a count of two to five, or whatever is best for you.
- Slowly and steadily breathe out through your mouth, feeling your hands move back in as your stomach contracts.
- Repeat.
Continue the breathing exercise for 3-5 minutes.
Advanced: Enroll in a yoga class. “Breathwork” or pranayama (a Sanskrit word meaning the lengthening of the breath or ‘life force’) is a major component of many yoga classes. Most instructors educate their students about how the breath is used to enhance the practice of yoga.
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