Breathing When That's all You Can Do - Like in Childbirth!

I am happy to say that I was able to get through the labor of my second baby without medication, but it wasn't easy! I prepared and prepared with a hypnosis technique, focused on my breath and relaxing every muscle. This was a great help me relax in pregnancy and through labor, and then came the point, towards the end, where I felt like it was too much - I couldn't handle any more, and I said so. My wonderful midwife, Kath Ryn told me, "All you have to do is breathe."

It was not an easy task then - to breathe when I would rather just stop the whole thing! But I did my best - breathe in, huge effort, out, huge effort, just focus on it. It's a metaphor for getting through grief or anger or frustration too - When you can't DO anything to change it, and you have to BE there and ride it out, breathing in, breathing out, gives you something you CAN do. It helps you exist in the moment till something shifts. For me, it ended with the cry of my baby, for you, it will be something else. But remember your breath as a friend always waiting for you. It doesn't make the hard thing go away, but it gives you an anchor to be there with it.

Blessings to you this holiday! With all the mixed blessings the season brings, I wish you time to go within and be peaceful. Much love!

Breath to Transform Fear : Tarzan Breath

Adapted from The Miracle of the Breath by Andy Caponigro

As our breath goes, so go our emotions. We can actually change the way we feel by changing the way we breathe.

This exercise can bring feelings of confidence and power because it helps open the chest muscles which can get locked up when we feel fear, and by promoting a strong flow of outbreath. It's a great way to start your day from the power of your core self rather than the chatter of anxiety.

1.) Sit in a comfortable position and focus your attention on the movements of your breath. Once your mind is attuned to these rhythms, inhale wtih a little more air than usual.

2.) As you exhale, make a strong, continuous "aaahh" sound and beat on your chest with alternate fists, as gorillas do. Let the sound arise from your chest rather than your throat

3.) Continue for 5 or 10 seconds and then return to your normal breath, allwing about 30 seconds to assimilate the new waves of energy. Notice any changes in your breath.

4.) Repeat 4 or 5 times, or as it feels right.

Enjoy!

Breathing Into Your Center

Connecting with your heart is one of the most powerful things you can do for your life, for your dreams, your business, your family. It opens up doors, it frees you to do what you are meant to do, much more than the worrying thoughts of the head.

This short exercise is a great way to center into that space, anytime. Place both feet on the floor evenly, whether sitting or standing. Allow your jaw to relax.

Breathe in through the nose for a count of four.
Hold for a count of three
Exhale through the mouth for a count of eight.
Repeat 4 times.

As you breathe in, imagine the breath going into your heart. Imagine what your heart looks like, and the blood becoming bright red with the new oxygen you are taking in. Thank your heart for being the gaurdian of the best things about you. Remember the wonderful things that make you who you are. Celebrate them, quietly, with love.

To receive weekly emails with breath tips, sign up HERE

Breathe Slowly, Give Your Heart a Rest

Take a moment to tune into your breathing. Allow your breath to become soft and slow, giving plenty of time for a nice, long exhale. Breathing slowly and in longer intervals allows your body to use less energy to get oxygen to all the cells of your body, and it gives your heart a chance to slow down as well. Since we only get so many beats in a lifetime, it's nice to use them up slowly!

Anytime you think of it, spend 30 seconds breathing slowly. Soon your body will get used to this new pattern, and it will be a natural way to slow down and become focused and efficient, in mind as well as body.

www.lotusbodywork.net

Breathe into the Lower Lungs

"Most of the blood circulating in the lungs is in the bottom third of them." (Conscious Breathing, Gay Hendricks) When you take a deep breath, puffing out the belly, you make room for the lower lungs to expand and the oxygen goes to where the blood is, giving the blood a great supply of oxygen to send to the rest of your body! Oxygen is the main source of energy for all of your cells, so this is great food for your body.

Sign up for the "Breath Tip" email

Relaxation Through Breath Can Help You Lose Weight

Relax and your body works better. That is the gist of an awesome article "The Easier Way to Diet" by Martha Beck in the recent O magazine that I read in the gym and couldn't wait to come home and write my new breath tip!

She basically says that studies show when our body is in the relaxation response (i.e. the opposite of fight or flight, stress reaction) that our metabolism gets a cue that says, "All is well! No famine! No need to store up reserves to prepare for disaster! Go to work digestive system!"

This message is so powerful. When we feel relaxed, when we allow ourselves to enjoy life, our bodies work much more efficiently in all systems AND we feel happier!

Breath is a wonderful tool to bring relaxation. It is always with you. A deep breath is right there. Tuning into your breath and staying with it can happen in a meeting, while you're driving, and best of all - when you're in a happy place.

Celebrate happiness! Celebrate good times! You deserve more of it in your life, in your body, and it will actually help you be MORE efficient if you relaxed, not stressed. GREAT NEWS!

Read the article here

www.lotusbodywork.net

Contact Jessica at (707)758-2365

Breath Class Postponed - New Private Massage/Breath Sessions Available!

Breath Classes Postponed Through the Summer -
To Resume in September

New Private Sessions !

Massage with Breathwork
Starting at $40 for 30 min.

A client recently came in for a pain in her mid back. With gentle, opening massage on the breathing muscles and some breathing work, emotions that had been held were able to release and the back pain faded by 50% before we even touched it! She felt like a new person afterwards.

Private Sessions combining massage and breathwork can relieve major stress held in the body.
Experience the relief!

Call Jessica @ (707)758-2365 to reserve your spot
850 2nd St. Ste.A
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
by Jessica Malmberg, CMT

OPEN THE BREATH WITH MASSAGE

Massage can help loosen the chest muscles to allow the lungs to expand more
easily. You can do it yourself!

To start, place your fingertips at the bottom of the sternum. Move the
fingertips in little circles with some good pressure right on that bone
(breastbone) , and see if you can loosen up the muscles that attach onto the
sternum. Is it sore, tight, normal?

Move the fingertips up the sternum along the outside of it, feeling into the
places between the ribs, and loosening up these muscles. It should feel
good... maybe a little sore.

Move the fingers all the way up to the clavicle (collar bone) and along this
bone to the shoulders.

After your massage, take a couple of nice breaths, and enjoy the openness in
the muscles you just attended to. This is great work anytime you feel stress
or like you might be holding your breath! It releases physical tension and
emotional holding as well.

No breath class tonight! (I'm going out of town for a day)

Breathe Through Trauma

"Any trauma you can breathe through loses its grip on you. Here's why. Any animal freezes its breathing when a startle occurs. In nature...there is great survival value in freezing into stillness.

When a trauma occurs, the breath is first held and then becomes short and shallow. So releasing a trauma from the body and mind is partly a result of getting the breath flowing again while the person consiously processes the feelings from the events that froze the breath in the first place." From Consicous Breathing - Gay Hendricks

The trauma may be present or from long in the past, but if you can breathe slowly and deeply while thinking or speaking of it, your body will have great help in releasing it!

Breathing Through Times of Grief

I just found out that a childhood friend of mine died of cancer today. She was a mom and a wife, a smiling, cheerful soul, and I can't stop crying, such a chord is touched.

I thought about skipping the breath tip, what could I offer in such a state of emotion? And then of course, I realized, that this too is something I need to breathe in, and release.

Breathe in the pain and sadness, breathe out . Breathe in the love, breathe out. Breathe in the good memories, breathe out. Breathe in the regrets that come with knowing I will not know her any more, breathe out. Breathe in the wild range of colors of each day of life, breathe out.

Feel it all, and release. I am alive, and I am here now, breathing. And to honor my friend, I will be grateful for this moment, for my breath, for the future joys and pains.

I just found out that a childhood friend of mine died of cancer today. She was a mom and a wife, a smiling, cheerful soul, and I can't stop crying, such a chord is touched.

I thought about skipping the breath tip, what could I offer in such a state of emotion? And then of course, I realized, that this too is something I need to breathe in, and release.

Breathe in the pain and sadness, breathe out . Breathe in the love, breathe out. Breathe in the good memories, breathe out. Breathe in the regrets that come with knowing I will not know her any more, breathe out. Breathe in the wild range of colors of each day of life, breathe out.

Feel it all, and release. I am alive, and I am here now, breathing. And to honor my friend, I will be grateful for this moment, for my breath, for the future joys and pains.

Breathing When You Have a Cold

Breathing With a Cold
After dealing with a sore throat all weekend I experienced the importance of breathing while your respiratory system isn't at its best.

Take a minute to breathe several breaths slowly, evenly and quietly, through the nose or mouth. This creates a strong, healthy moment for the lungs and chest to experience in the midst of challenges when uneven, shallow breathing can be the norm.
This breathing feels very different than when all is normal and clear, it feels like lifting weights or focusing on balance while walking on a beam. It helps get things in the right rhythm, back on the right track.

To help the process, massage the chest just under the collarbone in little circular motions, then down along the sternum between the ribs, and up into the front of the neck (lightly here). This helps relax the muscles that help you breathe, as well as the whole body. And relaxation is good for breath, and health in general.

For a weekly email on Breathing, sign up HERE

Yesterday I was leaving my office with my heart very achy. I have been missing Otto so much, feeling the hurt so much the past week.  I told him as I gathered my things together and touched the little plate with the owl on it that I needed his help. 

I walked out the door to the parking lot and a deer was there, walking around between the creek and the cars.  A beautiful doe.  I've never seen one there before in the 3 years I've been working there.  It was such a nice hello, such a quick response to my question, when I didn't expect an answer. 

When our baby first died, we would hike and hike and hike in Annadel. Doing our best, one step at a time, comforted by the evening sun over the grasses and we would almost always see a stag, which is very unusual. We saw 16 of them in a month or two, never failing, every time we went out. And we would talk to him, our son, through these deer. We knew it was him, in some way, these mystical creatures. We would know where to go, sometimes we would find them, hear some little sound and follow it and find him, or he would find us, walking through brush and surprising us.

We don't hike as much now, not nearly. We are back in the busyness of life, and we don' t have time every day, we don't make the space, life has crowded back in. It's easier in some ways to be busy, but it can be numbing too, and that's uncomfortable. We cry at night, and it can be hard on each other after a long day to have the other so down, but we understand, it's s lower-level relentless heartache.  A loss that is always felt, but not so poignantly as before. In some ways it's hard to let go of that, to let it be foggy and not sharp.  This is how it goes, though. 

So my baby boy, my Otto, thanks for showing that you are right here, that even when we are down in the hurt of your death  and hurts that started long before that, you are clear. You are beyond. You are like a deer in the city, just beyond the trees by the creek, hidden but there and full of spirit.

Our yard is full of blooming roses and poppies and pansies, the color is cheerful, so helpful. Spring is beautiful.

I love you.

Breathe in Rhythm With Your Activity

Next time you take a walk around the block or a jaunt on the treadmill, dig a ditch or even sweep the floor, breathe in rhythm with your activity. Inhale for three steps, exhale for three steps. Inhale for two sweeps, exhale for two sweeps.

Breathing evenly and in rhythm brings your mind to what you're doing and gives the lungs a great chance to exercise. They love it! So as you're working in the garden or taking a hike, pay attention to rhythm of the breath and you'll have more energy to enjoy it.

For weekly breath tips, sign up HERE

Breathe into the Back

Take a moment to relax and focus on your breath.

As you inhale, visualize your lungs expanding into the back as well as into the front of the chest. You can put your hands on the sides of your rib cage, thumbs in back and four fingers in front, to feel the expansion.

As you breathe, let yourself feel the support of the breath going into your upper back, holding you up, giving strength.

Let your belly, ribs and chest area remain soft and flexible, easily expanding to make room for the lungs. Remember that the more flexible we are for the breath, the easier it is to maintain good posture and flow of breath to the rest of the body.

Enjoy!

Sign up for a weekly breath tip here

SPECIAL DISCOUNT - $10 off a Cranio Sacral Massage booked this Wed. April 8th or Thursday April 9th! Call Jessica at 758-2365

Breathing Through the Nose

The nose cleans, warms and humidifies air before it enters our lungs and by
controlling the volume of our exhale it also helps maintain the correct
balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood.

If we breathe out too quickly through the mouth, rapidly exhaling large
volumes of carbon dioxide, it can signal the brain to jump to the fight or
flight response, constricting arteries, making us nervous, anxious,
depressed, etc.

It's nice to let the nose help us breathe slowly, keeping our nervous system
relaxed and our bodies flowing efficiently with oxygen.

Take a few slow, even breaths through the nose and enjoy the relaxing
effects. Apply this as often as you can remember through your day!

Thank your nose!

Sign up for a weekly Breath Tip via email HERE

Breathing the Breath of the Trees

Happy Spring!

Enjoy this visualization as you breathe this week. Close your eyes and imagine...

the trees around your neighborhood and office creating the oxygen that you breathe. Imagine their out-breath as oxygen, a gift from them to us. Feel gratefulness for these beautiful beings that make our most vital nutrient. As you breathe in, feel the tree's influence on your breath.

Now, as you breathe out, you create carbon dioxide, which the trees absorb. Imagine that we give this gift to them. Feel this relationship: as they breathe out, we breathe in their oxygen. As WE breathe out, they breathe in our carbon dioxide. Enjoy the closeness of the trees.

Want to go a step further and help CREATE more trees? Trees for a Change  gives you the chance to plant a tree as a gift in the name of someone you love or work with, want to thank, etc. It's a beautiful idea that is run by Kim Isley, a great advocate for trees.

Listen to those birds sing outside! It's a celebration.  There is so much to celebrate in all times of life.  Remember the joy and the new things of spring.

To sign up for a weekly breath tip on email, go HERE

Breathing When You're Waiting

When we have to wait for something we tend hold the breath and get impatient. Now you can look forward to those moments as opportunities to take some nourishing, cleansing breaths.

Allow yourself to BREATHE when you're waiting for...

THE INTERNET TO OPEN A PAGE
A DOWNLOAD
THE LIGHT TO CHANGE
TRAFFIC
IN LINE AT THE POST OFFICE OR GROCERY
A MEETING TO END

Step 1 - start with your exhale, let out any frustration

Step 2 - receive a nourishing inhale - imagine that you're fueling your body and being constructive!

Step 3 - Do some stretches with the breath, close your eyes for a second, or do some people watching. Let yourself get out of your head and into your body.

Enjoy!

Sign up for a weekly breath tip via email here

Easy Ways to Minimize Stress

Yesterday I gave a short presentation on breath exercises at the Northern California Center for Well-Being, (http://www.norcalwellbeing.org/).  It ended a lecture on managing stress by Dra. Marisol, Host of Nuestros Niños Radio Show.  It was a great reminder of basic things we can do to create harmony in our lives, and I took home some good ideas.

Some suggestions I recommend:

1.)  Cut down on the news.  If it would help you to listen or watch or read the news only once a week, give yourself permission.  Will the world fall apart if we don' t tune in every day to the bad news?  Instead, fill this space with uplifting things. A meditative CD, a walk, connecting to family. 

2.)  Movies/Magazines/Books - In choosing what you'll watch or read as you wind down your day, take into account how it will weigh on your heart and mind.  Let yourself choose something whole and beautiful. Especially if it's right before bed. Set the tone for your subconscious, and sleep will be more restful.

3.) Less Coffee - It's not bad in itself.  But watch how it affects YOU.  Are you lying awake staring at the ceiling? This might be that afternoon  cup.  It doesn't have to be right before bed to affect your system enough to keep you alert when you should be resting. Experiment, see if one cup less makes it easier to sleep. If you get enough sleep you'll feel less stressed.

4.) More Fun - It's a very grown up thing to do.  Allowing some laughter, some movement - a soccer game, a dance class, time with crayons, a walk with a friend, playing music, all these things bring shifts for our nervous system, which in turn makes it easier to handle challenges when they come up. It's putting gas in the car, it's investing in your self.  The more you experience fun, the more you attract it into your life. Sounds good to me!

5.) Breathe - Enjoy your breath, expand your breath.  It is always there for you, and breathing calmly for a few minutes also shifts the nervous system to a calmer place. Breathe slowly, regularly and quietly with attention, and you'll feed your heart and mind.

Looking for the good in life will make it appear. It's always there.  Sometimes people call this a Pollyana outlook - but wait a minute - Pollyana kept quoting "If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will." (Abraham Lincoln).  I think this is very wise. 

Sign up for a weekly email on breath here

Inhale to Receive

To inhale is to take in the most important nutrient for our body (oxygen) which is FREELY given to us by the earth's atmosphere. It is a metaphor for abundance; our most important and basic need is constantly being met as we breathe in and feed our cells with oxygen.

If you find yourself having a hard time with taking a nice, long inhale on any given day, take note of this and open your heart and mind to RECEIVING. Realize that in times that feel less secure, that the air is here for us and we are alive!

(And remember the importance of a long exhale - the metaphor for letting go, to create the space for a nice, easy inhale.)

To sign up for a weekly email breathing tip, click here

Focus on Exhale for a Deep Breath

Focus on Exhale

If you find yourself in a place where it's difficult to take a full breath because of thinking or stress, focus on releasing a nice, long exhale. As you get to the end of the exhale, softly push out a little more breath with the intercostal and abdominal muscles till your lungs feel fairly empty.

This creates a nice vacuum in the lungs that automatically sucks in more air and allows for a wonderful, full inhale into the lungs. Whenever I feel tightness in my chest and need to take a deep breath, I start with a long exhale and it makes a big difference.
Happy Breathing!

Breath class info at lotusbodywork.net

The Gratefulness Breath

So you just got a little bit of good news. Or you saw the sun break through the rain clouds for a moment of bright light.  Or you saw someone who made you laugh.  

Take a deep breath to really feel that moment of happiness.  Start at the belly, exapand the ribs and fill your lungs all the way to the top of your chest - where your collarbone meets the arm.  Fill up with oxygen, fill up with thankfulness, and then exhale, let yourself relax into that feeling.  

Keep breathing it in, deeply and fully, until you're totally filled with this good thing.  

So some things are falling down, some things are really changing all around us, and new seeds are being planted for better ways.  And the same wonderful things that made us happy before are still there, abundantly.  Breathing them in will help us notice them more, appreciate them, till we see how full our lives are, how much we have.

Happy breathing!

Sign up for a weekly breath tip via email here

No Need to Hold Your Breath

Do you hold your breath when you feel stressed? Over the next couple days, notice if you do, and what's happening to cause it (a tough phone call, a certain project, etc.)   

Next, bring in the flow of the breath, keep your inhale and exhale moving as you deal with the issue.  This will help avoid the painful affects of holding patterns in your muscles and cells that occur when everything constricts due to stress, and shift your approach to one of more confidence and peace. Flow is the answer!

Also, notice how your posture is when dealing with a challenging moment. Most times we curl the shoulders in, hunch the back, protecting the insides (physically and emotionally), and hunker down to a small space, sort of hiding from the moment.

If you can bring awareness to your breath, AND straighten the back and pull the shoulder blades down towards your low back, you strike the pose of grace, strength, assurance, and the emotions follow suit. Eventually, the body will remember that you have a new protocol for dealing with challenges. Breath and grace, less fear.

Breath Class every Tuesday night! More info and newsletter sign-up at lotusbodywork.net

Breathe to Shift Your Mood

Great tip by Dr. Andrew Weil from his book Natural Health, Natural Medicine

"By simply putting your attention on breathing, without even doing anything to change it, you move in the direction of relaxation. There are many worse places to have your attention - on your thoughts for one, since thoughts are the source of much of our anxiety...Get in the habit of shifting your awareness to your breath whenever you find yourself dwelling on upsetting thoughts.
 

The single most effective relaxation technique I know is conscious regulation of breath.  I will teach you a yogic breathing exercise I give to most of my patients. It is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment, and can be done anywhere.

Although you can do the exercise in any position, to learn it I suggest you do it seated with your back straight. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise.  You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

First exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.  

Next close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.

Next hold your breath for a count of seven.

Then exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.

This is one breath.  Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths."

(It doesn't matter how many seconds this takes, just that you keep the ratio 4:7:8)

"This exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system...I would like you to do it at least twice a day.  You cannot do it too frequently.  Do not do more than four breaths at a time or the first month of practice. Later you can extend it to eight breaths."

Dr. Andrew Weil

the Relaxation Response

We've all heard of the fight or flight response.  We get stressed or scared and the heartbeat speeds up, blood pressure rises as arteries constrict, we breathe shallow, quick breaths, we start to sweat, adrenaline pumps, and we are ready to protect ourselves from danger. 

These days the "danger" is something like a meeting or a deadline.  The problem is that if we are continually stressed and eliciting this response, the body is working much harder than it needs to and we're burning energy like crazy, making us pretty tired at the end of the day.

The less famous counterpart to this is the relaxation response. If you're feeling calm and peaceful, you tend to breathe more deeply and slowly, the heart beat is slower, arteries open, blood pressure drops, and energy is burned at a slower pace, meaning we have more for the projects we want to get done when we're not burning it being nervous.

 You can elicit this response willfully by doing some deep breathing.  After 15 to 20 minutes of sitting quietly and focusing on the in and out of breath, studies have shown that the relaxation response takes effect and the body relaxes, more oxygen gets to the brain, and you can focus in a calm way. The more often you practice, the greater the effects.

 

There's a book - the Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson

A Refreshing 2 minute Break

Many studies show that taking short breaks increases your efficiency. Keep that heavy, drowsy, achy feeling at bay by getting more breath, water and stretching. It may decrease headaches and anxiety as well.

Give yourself a 2 minute break every 30 minutes, you will help your body and mind out a lot. Setting a timer helps tremendously. You can download one here: Interval Timer

REFRESHING 2 MINUTE BREAK

1. Drink a glass of water . 30 sec. Get 8-10 glasses a day. At least half a glass per hour.
Have water available at your desk.  Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen. (BYImassage.com) See sample stretches here

2. Breathe Deeply – 30 seconds - 3 to 5 deep, slow breaths.  Breathe into belly, then rib area, then chest. Be relaxed and easy, enjoying the brain food.

3. Stretch/Stand - 45 seconds Pay attention to aches, numbness, tired muscles. Do stretches that target these areas throughout the day. Stretch and rest BEFORE they start bothering you. This helps to avoid Repetitive Stress Injuries like Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Pick 3-5 of your favorite stretches, and add them to your breathing (inhale, exhale  duringneck stretch., inhale, exhale, during shoulder stretch, etc.) 

4. Close eyes or look at distant object - 10 seconds. If closing your eyes, hold your hand over your eyes to block the light.  This gives your eyes and brain a rest from the quickly flashing computer screen, and cleanses your eyes since we blink less when looking at the computer.

TRY IT! Enjoy a productive, energy-filled day!

More Oxygen Gives you More Energy

Without oxygen we die in a few minutes. It is the most essential vital nutrient for our body. It is like good food. Oxygen aids digestion, skin function, brain function, lightens the workload for the heart, helps the immune system work better and is critical in the production of ATP, the basic energy production for cells.

If it is one of the main needs in producing energy, guess what you'll have more of when you get more oxygen into your body? Something that really helps us have days of productivity and positive outlooks - ENERGY. People just don't seem to have enough of it these days, and things like energy drinks have become a hot commodity. These energy drinks have negative effects and can really jack up your system though, loading the blood with caffeine and sugar. This has been shown to increase the heart rate and blood pressure, causing insomnia, dehydration, over-stimulation of the nervous system, and a big crash afterwards while your blood sugar tries to catch up.

Learning how to breathe deeply, and get more oxygen to your system gives your body more building blocks of energy while soothing the nervous system, lowering heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and helping you sleep. It is a wonderful tool to use if you are starting to feel sluggish, irritable, sleepy or nervous, to give your whole system a toning boost.

Getting more oxygen is as simple as deciding to learn how to breathe more fully and regularly throughout the day, and writing down a time to do it. In my weekly class on BREATH: A Class to Relieve Stress and Relax on Tuesday evenings in Santa Rosa, starting Jan. 27th at 5:30pm, (www.squidoo.com/breathingtips) we will practice breathing techniques for energy and stress management and also design a plan to fit your breath work into your life in a way that will work for you.

Here is a simple exercise to start your new habit:

Sit on the edge of a chair or couch with a straight, relaxed back. Slowly breathe in through the nose, allowing at least 3 seconds for your in-breath. Breath out through the nose or mouth, whichever feels better for you, allowing at least 4 seconds for the out-breath. The longer you sit and focus on your breathing in a session, the longer the inhale and exhale will become. Allow them to naturally expand to longer and longer periods. No need to force it, your body will find its rhythm and its comfort zone. Notice the lengths of the inhale and exhale and realize that it is just right for that moment, whether your breaths seem short, medium or long. The exhale will naturally be a little bit longer than the inhale.

Bring your attention to the belly, and place your hands on it for a moment. Breathe in, and with softness and little effort, allow the belly to puff out with the air coming in. As you breathe out, allow the belly to naturally fall back into place. Feeling this movement with your hands helps to bring awareness to this process.

Breathing from the belly like this allows the diaphragm to do its work, creating space by pushing down into the abdomen to make room for the lungs to expand. (more on the diaphragm later!)

As you breathe in, say to yourself, "in". As you breathe out, say to yourself "out". It is a slow, gentle rhythm you will start to feel. It is like rocking in a boat. You can give into it, let it take you to a place of rest. You give your mind a break, all it has to do is think "in" and "out". Of coarse other thoughts come in too, but you are giving it an easy job, you are allowing it to do less.

The more minutes you can give to this practice, the greater the benefits will be of oxygen in the blood and the relaxation of your body. The more often you practice, the easier it will be for your body to remember this new way of breathing and being.

Good job! Devoting one minute to this will still be a gift to your body. Enjoy this simple way to give yourself more energy and more peace!

How Breathing Well Changed My Life

I'm really excited about offering this series on Breathing because relieving stress and anxiety has been such a lovely journey in my own life.

Part lecture and part practice, you'll learn all about the function of breathing and then physically practice breathing all together. The results are wonderful!

 Right out of college I started an intense job at Shelter Services for Women, an agency that dealt with the problem of domestic violence. For most of my time there I spoke at Health classes in high schools about healthy relationships and abusive relationships. I gave groups at Juvenile Hall and probationary schools, and I loved being with these kids, they taught me so much about life; they had already been through so much. Almost immediately after taking this job, however, I started having stress reactions. I would have have cramps and sweat with pain and be left exhausted. The doctors couldn't figure it out.

After a couple of years I discovered yoga, and was amazed at how much breathing deeply for an hour relieved my symptoms. I became a devoted class member, and a more relaxed person. My husband noticed the change, and never let me skip class! One night I met a massage therapist at the intermission of a play. Her job sounded so good to me - working in a quiet space with one person at a time, lighting a candle, meditating, and I signed up for my certification that week.  I knew my job was hurting me, and starting a career that was focused on relieving stress, and would be peaceful itself, was perfect.

A year or two later I  discovered a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Buddhist monk who teaches the joys of meditation in very simple terms.  (The book was Peace is Every Step.) I went to his retreat and learned that BREATHING, of all things, is the key to meditation, to peacefulness, to life. Breathing in, and breathing out, with awareness, changes the coarse of your thinking, and changes the way your body reacts to situations in life. It taught me to release the stress and pain I didn't need in the out-breath, to receive nourishment and replenishment in the in-breath.

Learning breathing and stretching and massage led to learning about eating and moving and thinking differently, and I changed at a deep level, in small steps.

 It's funny that at 32 I feel much healthier than I did at 21 but it is the truth. Where once I was low in energy, sickly, tired, I am now the person that rarely gets sick, that enjoys a good long hike with my husband, and knows how to handle stress.

The old stress reaction still comes up for me from time to time, and I can recognize it now and listen to it. If I feel it rising up, I know what to do. Be kinder to myself. Slow down, breathe, meditate, all the things I have learned are such a healthy tonic to my body and soul. It sounds like a lot of work, but it's not. Here is MY routine, just for you to see and perhaps you can create one for yourself.

Upon rising in the morning, I grab my journal and write 1-3 pages of whatever comes out, without thinking too much. Let my mind unravel, expell thoughts that might just keep going all day unless I get them out. Next, I unroll my yoga mat and stretch for about 10 minutes. My favorites are hamstring stretches and bridges, they're great for the low back. Next, 10 minutes of sitting meditation and deep breathing. At this point my mind is a little more relaxed, my body awake from stretching, for the sacred minutes of meditating. If I have more time I do more, if less time, I skip an element. But if I am able to do all three at a time, I have started a good day. The good day has more to do with my body and mind glowing rather than the things that happen. Which is a good way to live. With a 30 min. routine 3 times a week like this, you'll definitely see changes.

I'd love to see you at my breath class! Spread the word to anyone who would like to reduce their stress and enjoy life more.