Mindful Monday- Better Breathing

"But for many of us, when it comes to improving our health, changing our breathing somehow doesn’t spring to mind as readily as changing our diet or exercise habits."

This month of March, as part of my year of mindfulness, I am exploring and studying my own breath and breathing in general. As a breath holder, I manufacture some anxiety just from improper breathing. I'll catch myself breathing from the chest in quick shallow breaths and now I see how that affects my feelings. Long full breaths can lower your heart rate and in reverse short, shallow breathing can accelerate your heart and very quickly a feeling of unwellness rises to the conscious mind.

Having one nostril which is smaller,  I am wondering if doing some Alternate Nostril Breathing might encourage more balance. Here are the steps to that type of breathing exercise.

An alternate nostril breathing exercise – purifying breath:

Step one: Use right thumb to close off right nostril.

Step two: Inhale slowly through left nostril

Step three: Pause for a second

Step four: Now close left nostril with ring finger and release thumb off right nostril

Step five: Exhale through your right nostril

Step six: Now, inhale through right nostril

Step seven: Pause

Step eight: Use thumb to close of right nostril

Step nine: Breathe out through left nostril

Step ten: This is one round. Start slowly with 1 or 2 rounds and gradually increase.Never force.Sit quietly for a few moments after you have finished.

This book is a March read and I hope to find some help. Hopefully it won't take my breath away or make you feel I am breathing down your neck with too much information.

      "Focusing on your own breathing can have a significant impact on your well-being and stress levels, and can even create physiological changes             like lowering your blood pressure."

                         More mindfulness Monday posts here.