Just BREATHE
Rhythmically.
In and out.
In and out.
Oxygen in, carbon dioxide out.
Inhaling potential, exhaling toxins and stress.
Repeat.
Over and over again… without a thought.
Breath is perhaps our most vital life process and we rarely consider it.
The cycle of the breath happens tens of thousands of times each day. (Humans average between 15,000 and 30,000 breaths each day.)
Tune in to the rhythm of your own breathing.
Is it smooth, even, and cyclical?
Do you hold or restrict the breath?
Can you calm your heart rate using your breath?
Can you use deep, extended inhalations to help relax and soothe your nervous system.?
We use these breath techniques quite a bit in aromatherapy to help manage stress.
Slow and steady through both nostrils helps to settle and ground into the body.
Using only the breath and a select few essential oils, a person can begin to alter their body's stress reaction.
In fact, it is the breath that can bring calm to the body faster than any other natural method. Read this article from TIME magazine to learn more.
My dear friend is a yoga and breath work teacher. I could think of no one better to speak about the breath, so I asked if she would write an article that could bring more awareness to the breath.
She said yes, so here is Weaving Alchemy's first contributing article!
Just breathe.
J♡
The past couple of years have highlighted the need for caring for our breath. Breathing keeps our spirit circulating through our bodies. There are apps that you can download to practice deeper, longevity-supportive breathing.
Here are a few:
Notice the Breath
by Angie Loyd, RYT 200
Naturally, involuntarily and unconsciously, breathing is always present - even when we aren’t available to be present with it. Our busy lives, commitments, over lapping time schedules and keeping up with all of our outside distractions pulls us away from what fuels us.
Our breathing patterns are quite different day to day, person to person. Depending on our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual condition, our breath contributes “and in the same breath” is affected by anxiety, distraction, fatigue, sleep patterns, and clarity.
We are all gifted with this life force called "breath." This is not something we learn to do, it is something we already have. If we can make a conscious effort to refrain from restricting the breath, we can find the connection in the breath, body, mind and even in the space between the breath.
Notice your very own natural rhythmic breath. Notice if the inhale is deep and the exhale shallow?
Is the breath rapid?
Heavy, short, difficult to catch?
These relationships with our breath effect us all day.
Taking a few moments before your feet hit the ground running in the morning at the sound of your alarm, spare a few moments to notice the breath.
Laying in bed, welcome the breath into your body.
Notice the sensations that arise. (Not what you tell your self about the breath, but, feeling and allowing the senses to do the work)
As you fill the body up with air notice if the transition of inhale is sudden, sharp, and or all at once. (The ego’s natural tendency is to take in as much as it needs as fast as it can.)
Remember you are simply just noticing, not criticizing or judging.
Upon the transition of exhale did the breath leave the body in one quick motion?
Mindfully and slowly become aware of the length of breath that was taken into the body on the inhale should over time match the length of time for the breath to leave the body on the exhale. (Again the ego wants to hang on to the breath because it needs it)
The breath is the body's natural filtration process, it rids the body of toxins and impurities. (Ironically we buy air filters, powerful vacuum cleaners and focus so much on the exterior when it is our breaths pleasure to do all the work for the comforts of our interior if we could just let it.)
Over time if the inhale is at a count of 4 the exhale will begin to match at a count of 4. You can count this off for yourself if it helps.
Be patient with yourself.
Thank the body for all it does for you and feel fully alive and aware of the wholesomeness of your being.
ALLOW the breath to serve you.
Repeat at bed time if it suits you.
Breathe well.
Angelica Loyd, RYT 200