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