Just breathe 💙

Posted on March 21, 2020 by eresko

What do you do when the wheels fall off; when anxiety, fear, and worry get the best of you? What do you do to ground yourself and get present?  It’s ok to let life get the best of you, we are human after all, what matters is how you recognize and choose to cope with these experiences.  Life happens and that means the good and the bad.  It’s important to take moments to be still, be aware of your physical, mental and emotional body and to learn how to give your nervous system a break when it all gets to be too much. These days we are constantly inundated with information from our TVs, our iPhones, the radio and other people.  Learn to recognize when you are overwhelmed by it all, how it makes your body feel physically and emotionally and what to do about it.  Using the breath is one of the best and most simple ways to do this.  Set a timer, set an expectation (sit and breathe until you feel your breathing slow, smooth and your body relax the tension), make it a part of your routine in the morning before you get out of bed or before bed and breathe deep.

  1. 4×4 or square breathing:  Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for a count of 4 and hold for 4.
  2. 4-7-8 breathing:  Breathe in your nose for a count of 4, hold for 7, exhale through the mouth with a ‘whoosh’ sound for 8.
  3. Wim Hof breathing:  Breathe deeply into the belly, then fill the diaphragm, then the head and exhale slowly through the mouth. Take 20-40 deep breaths this way, on your last exhale hold your breath for as long as you can.  Inhale and hold another 15 seconds at the top.  Repeat 3x.  For a better description please follow this link to the Wim Hof free mini-classes.
  4. Diaphragmatic or 360 breathing:  Breathe deep into your whole diaphragm.  Feel the belly rise and diaphragm expand in all directions (360 degrees).  Feel your whole rib cage stretch.  Take inhales deeply and exhale slowly while relaxing the tension away.
  5. Mindfulness breathing with a mantra:  Pick a mantra, a saying, a word or a statement and repeat while you breathe slowly and deeply.  Bring awareness to your breath, and how your body feels. For example, repeat a word such as “peace” or “relax”.  A statement could be, “my body is still, my mind is at peace”.
  6. Alternating nostril breathing:  Breathe in your right nostril, exhale through your left, inhale through your left, and exhale through your right.  Repeat for a set number of minutes or until you feel your breathing smooth and your body relax.
  7. Resonant breathing: Inhale and exhale at equal counts of 5.  Said to maximize your HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and to reduce stress.
  8. Body scan: Lie on your back in a comfortable supported position. Start with some deep slow breaths, in the nose, out the mouth.  Bring your attention to the top of your head and scan down the whole body.  Get specific… How does your scalp feel, how do your ears, eyebrows, and jaw feel?  Check in to your neck muscles, your shoulders, your throat.  Down into your diaphragm, lungs, digestive system, belly, ribs, pelvis… arms, elbows, wrists, fingers… you get the point. Feel the blood pulse through the body, and on every exhale release the tension where your attention is.
  9. Movement with breath:  Yoga!  Maybe stillness isn’t where you want to be… and that’s ok.  Follow a vinyasa, or do some sun salutations following your breathe.  Walking with breath (I know sounds silly, because we are always breathing).  Nature is a great healer.  Get outside – walk without expectation, without a need to exercise, just breathe in the fresh air and be conscious of just being in nature and outside experiencing your environment. If you can find some ferns to hang out with, do it!  Fern growth in a forested area is a sign of excellent soil conditions and air quality.  As an extra bonus, you are also enhancing the gut microbiome in breathing fresh ferns and forested air.

The major takeaway here is that pretty much any time you focus on the breath, whether you use a mantra, count, lie still and feel it… you release tension, calm your nervous system and give your body a much-needed boost of oxygen and calm.  Make it a daily practice.  We could all use a little less stress lately.

Till next time ~ breathe deep and relax.

 

About eresko

I am a licensed Acupuncturist and NCCAOM Board certified Diplomat of Oriental Medicine. I live in Hailey, Idaho, where I have an Acupuncture practice, Erin Hill Acupuncture as well as a type of Integrative Wellness Care practice, Tune Up. I am also a Level I & II certified Kettlebell Instructor and teach private classes in the Wood River Valley, Idaho. I have been very active in sports and athletics since I can remember. I received my BS in Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado @ Boulder. In my practice I utilize all modalities to help get you where you want to be, whether with Acupuncture, Nutrition, or Kettlebell training. I am well versed in treating Sports specific conditions; pain, injuries, strains & sprains and use my knowledge of the body both from a Chinese Medical standpoint and a traditional Western one; a concept that most of my patients are familiar with. In addition, I incorporate my knowledge of the physical body & how we move, where restrictions, pain, or tightness may reside and how that, in turn, affects the internal organs or vice versa. For each individual that walks through my door, I am able to assess what each person needs as far as therapy to achieve their goals. Each person is different, inside and out and treatments should reflect that. Among my modalities, I use Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Tuina (a type of Chinese bodywork), Japanese style Acupuncture, Moxibustion, Nutrition, and Lifestyle coaching as well as my Kettlebell training for rehab and for improving one's fitness level.
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