It has effectively been too long since my last post. I apologize. Time just gets away from me. Recently, I completed a resilience course and I am very excited to share new things I learned with all of you! One of my favorite take away’s from the course is deliberate breathing, aka meditation.
Deliberate breathing and meditation are not a new things for me, but I learned some new specific methods for practicing my meditation. Before I get started with these techniques/methods, I want to talk a bit anatomy and physiology. In order to be productive in your deliberate breathing, you need to breathe “properly.” I’m not saying you’ve been breathing wrong your whole life, I’m saying there is a specific style of breathing that helps us reduce stress and reset our bodies. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. Most of us breathe high in our chests. We’re “chest breathers.” If we concentrate and practice we can instead use our diaphragms to breathe. Our diaphragm is a muscle that sits at the base of our lungs. When we use our diaphragm to breathe we will see our stomachs rise and fall instead of our chests. We can learn to “belly breathe” by placing one hand on our chest and the other on our bellies. Which ever hand rises and falls indicates where we are breathing from.
Why does it matter where my breath comes from? Aren’t I just breathing with my lungs? Why does it matter if my chest or belly is rising and falling? Those are very good questions! Chest breathing is a natural reaction to stress. If that’s the case, how could we use stress’ natural breathing to relax? Diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) allows us to have a complete oxygen exchange, which means we actually use all of the oxygen we take in (and we will take in more by belly breathing). Diaphragmatic breathing also triggers the central nervous system to trigger the brain to relax. As if all this evidence isn’t enough, let’s talk about babies. When we are babies our natural instinct is to belly breathe. It’s as we get older and are introduced to stress and societal norms (having a smaller waist for example) that we begin to chest breathe.
Ok, enough anatomy and physiology. Let’s talk specific techniques for meditation. You can really do this anywhere, but I prefer a quiet place, occasionally a dark space, and alone. Sit or lay with your legs uncrossed and hands apart. Your hands can be placed on your thighs or just by your side. Start diaphragmatic breathing to a 5-count cadence (if that’s too long for you, that’s ok! Start with a 3-count cadence and build up to 5.) Once you’ve got your breathing slowed and on pace with your cadence, begin thinking about gratitude. (Gratitude is scientifically proven to lead to positive emotions such as happiness, joy, and optimism. It is also impossible to feel gratitude and anxiety at the same time.) You can think about the word gratitude, have an image in your mind that makes you feel grateful, or any other method you prefer to manifest a grateful mindset. Continue your steady belly breathing and focus on gratitude. Maybe when you first start to practice this all you focus on is your count. That is perfectly fine! There are many days that’s what I prefer to do. You will still reap the benefits of deliberate breathing. Keep up your meditation for as long as you want. I would suggest anywhere between 2-20 minutes. As you begin you might want to start low so you don’t feel frustrated from losing focus if it gets too long.
You can also use quick deliberate deep breaths (diaphragmatic breaths) right before a performance, such as giving a class or prior to an interview, to help you get relaxed and ready. Take 2-3 belly breaths right before the performance and get ready to go.
The benefits of meditation are huge, especially when incorporating gratitude. It reduces stress, promotes better sleep, and improves immune support. As stated before gratitude promotes more positive emotions, and who doesn’t want to have more of those?! It’s said that practicing deliberate breathing for 20 minutes causes the same restorative effects in our bodies as a 2 hour nap. There is so much good that comes from deliberate breathing/meditation, and no negative side effects, so why wouldn’t you want to give it try?
In closing, I want to share my three FTP. 1. It was a beautiful day here and I got to go for a flight! It was a pleasant surprise. 🙂 2. I was able to share in my brother’s good stuff by actively listening and multiplying his joy about it! 3. I met a new friend at the coffee shop I’m currently working in. She had the courage to break down societal norms by randomly sitting down at my table. I thank her for giving me a brain break and letting me visit with her. Please remember to find your positive today! Feel free to leave it in the comments. Happy breathing!
AT CHOICE 