Breath is life. Most of the time people hurry about their daily lives not giving any notice to the "autonomic" function of breathing. The body handles this all by itself, so why bother paying attention to this automatic function?
Well, for starters, if we are under stress, whether it's physical, mental, or emotional stress, these all affect our body, our mind and our overall well-being. When we are chronically under stress, in any or all of these areas, the quickened pace of the breath can create long term effects that are detrimental to our health and our body's ability to deal with on-going daily life and any future stresses that may likely come along.
One of the fastest, most effective ways to quickly and efficiently slow your body and mind down a bit is by paying attention to your breath and consciously, mindfully , slowing the breathing rate to a steady, consistent and controlled pace. Controlled, practiced breath (pranayama) is a really simple and very noticeably quick way to improve your mental well-being and improve your body's health & ability to stay well physically over time.
Diaphramatic breathing (belly breathing) is a regular practice in just about every yoga asana (posture) practice. There are many types of pranayama, but belly breathing is the starting point for anyone, at any time, any place, anywhere in the world, whether you currently practice yoga or not. It's safe, simple, effective and can change a lot in only a few short minutes.
You can be standing, seated, or reclined. You don't need any special equipment, all you need is a few minutes and willingness to do it.
If you find yourself feeling stressed, rushed, anxious or overwhelmed at ANY time, it only takes 2 minutes to slow down, inhale 2, 3, 4, 5, pause, exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, pause and repeat. It might take 2, 3 or 4 rounds to notice things slowing down, but once they do, keep a connection to your breath and see what happens from there.
I'll post an audio clip of basic belly breathing on the main page.
Once you navigate to the main page - find the audio file and click on the arrow to hear the recording.
In health & happiness,
Jo-Anne
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