Lotus Living - Stress Relief Techniques for a Vital, Peaceful Life

Breath for Summer Solstice

2011-06-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

Today we receive more light from the sun than any other day of the year! The sun gives us and all living things the energy we need to thrive.

It feels wonderful to go outside, throw my hands up and feel grateful for this beautiful connection, to be open to the abundance of life at this time of the year. Awareness of the cycles of the earth and sun and moon is a special, poetic thing to me, and it makes me feel like I belong to the universe. It is a good thing to BELONG!

Solstice Breath
Go outside where the sunlight hits you
Open your hands so they are palms up to receive the light and warmth from the sun
Breathing in slowly and deeply, feel yourself receive the life-giving energy of the sun
Breathing out slowly, give back gratefulness to the sun for its warmth
Repeat five or more times!

Happy Breathing!

Jessica P. Malmberg
Massage Therapy and Cranio Sacral Treatments

Tuesdays 2-6:30pm
Wedesdays 3-6:30pm
Thursdays 3-6:30pm

Make an appointment for a positive-energy building massage
(707)758-2365 Jessica@lotusbodywork.net

Breathe to Slow Things Down

2011-06-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

I was changing my baby's diaper and was supposed to be in the car for an appointment 5 minutes ago! I felt stressed and noticed that my baby seemed to be holding her breath. Realizing I was influencing her I decided to take slower, more audible deep breaths to shift the mood and help her feel it was ok.

Guess what? After about three slow breaths I started to feel relaxed, I felt more peaceful, I enjoyed the moment of changing the diaper.

I didn't change my mind, I changed the motion of my body and this shifted my frantic mood. The breath put me in my body, in my heart, and opened my perspective to see that being a few minutes late wasn't going to ruin my life! My life was good!

I laughed at myself because I teach people about the importance of breathing and even I was surprised at the difference it made.

A true story to help encourage you to take some refreshing, slow breaths when you are worried and be pleasantly surprised by how the world changes!

To receive weekly breath tips through email Sign Up HERE!

Jessica Malmberg
Giving You Back to Yourself
Therapeutic Massage and Cranio Sacral Therapy

Make an appointment for a positive-energy building massage!
Enjoy the wonderful mental health benefits. (707)758-2365

The Beauty of a Deep Breath - the Diaphragm

2011-05-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

The Beauty of a Deep Breath - Step 1

When I work with people on the massage table I often notice that they find it difficult to take a deep breath. Breathing deeply is a wonderful thing to re-learn (we all breathe well as babies!) and gives us a tool to slow down thoughts, heart rates, blood pressure, and days in general!

This tip will focus on using the diaphragm while breathing.

The diaphragm is a muscle that attaches at the front and back of your rib cage and provides a separation between your lungs/heart and the organs of the abdomen (stomach, liver, etc.)

1.) Sit or lay down in a stable, relaxed position. Place your hands on your belly to feel its rise and fall. Breathe normally for 5 breaths, noticing your belly.

2.) Inhale through the nose slowly and deeply and visualize the air flowing into the belly, and allow the belly to puff out. As you breathe in, the diaphragm pushes down into the organs of your abdomen, which pushes out the belly and gives room for the lungs to expand downward.

3.) Exhale through the mouth and allow the belly to sink back to its relaxed position, pushing air out of the lungs.

4.) Repeat for 5 breaths. If you feel faint or tired, rest.

Breathing in this manner may feel tiring or strange at first, but your body will get used ot it and thank you! The deeper the breath you take the more oxygen you will take into your blood and body, and this will give your body more energy to work with.

This is a great clip if you'd like to understand more about the mechanics of the diaphragm!

Happy Breathing!

To receive bimonthly breath tips via email, sign up HERE

Enjoy!
Jessica Malmberg
Giving You Back to Yourself
Therapeutic Massage and Cranio Sacral Therapy

Make an appointment for a positive-energy building massage!
Enjoy the wonderful mental health benefits. (707)758-2365

Tuesdays 2-6pm
Wedesdays 5:45pm
Thursdays 2-6pm

Breathe to Accept Happiness

2011-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

Sometimes being happy and successful is unfamiliar territory. When we stray into it we often bring ourselves back into the familiar world of suffering and restriction. So it behooves us to find ways of gently increasing our ability to handle positive energy. - Gay Hendricks, Conscious Breathing

Although it seems like it would be easy to flow with our happy times, we often go back into the habit of worry or anxiety because it's what we're used to! I've found this pattern in myself.

When your day is easy, joyful and peaceful, tune into your breath and tell yourself that you deserve happiness, just by being human and a child of the earth.

(Adapted from Gay Hendricks book Conscious Breathing)

Lie down on your back on a comfortable surface.

Breathing through your nose and into your relaxed abdomen take twelve deep, full breaths in and out. Count them on your fingers. Keep the breaths connected; do not pause at the end of the in-breath or out breath.

When you reach twelve, relax and rest. Tune in to your inner body sensations. Notice what you feel, especially any tingling, buzzing or humming feelings in your body. Notice also the quality of light in your mind. Notice if it is all light or a combination of dark and light, or all dark. There are no right or wrong answers. These sensations are what we'll call streaming energy.

The gradual build up of streaming energy is actually resetting your positive energy thermostat higher. If you feel any tension or uncomfortable feeling as you practice this technique, rest from the deep breathing until it passes. You don't need to push into or through the unpleasant feelings, just allow them without judgement, and rest until they pass.

After a minute or so of resting, begin taking 12 deep full breaths through your nose again, in and out of your relaxed abdomen.

Rest and notice your body sensations.

This time take 21 deep full breaths.

Rest for a minute and take note of your arms, legs, head, and the energy that is flowing.

Enjoy the strength of the energy you have built up, and allow your happy, joyful day to ride the wave of that energy within you! You deserve it.

www.lotsubodywork.net

To receive emails with breath tips sign up HERE

Eat, Drink and Be Peaceful! A Party!

2010-12-02T11:52:00.001-08:00

Celebrate and Be Warm!

Thursday, December 9th at 5:30pm
850 2nd St. Ste. A, Santa Rosa, CA 95404

We're throwing a party to celebrate a year of abundance! We'd love to see you in our newly decorated office and eat yummy food with you! I'm adding warming elements to my treatments, and will be giving samples of treatments with warm neck pillows, booties, and more! At 6:30 I will lead a short session of breathing meditation in my room.

I am offering a $15 discount on all massages and gift certificates booked that night. Massage is such an amazing gift for yourself or for someone you love to rejuvenate the body and soul, and let go of worries.

RSVP if you can, and also feel free to drop by either way.

Happy December, holidays, winter, and YOU!

Jessica

New Hours
My new office hours are:

Tuesdays 2pm-6pm
Wednesdays 4-6pm
Thursdays 4-6pm

Come To Our Holiday Party!

2010-11-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

We want to celebrate our newly beautified office with you!

We have filled our space with the beautiful landscape paintings of Jill Keller Peters, flowers and plants and pillows! Come relax in our relaxing place and eat some cheese, drink some wine and enjoy!

We will be offering great discounts on Gift Certificates and packages!

This year I am focusing on WARMTH and offer a warming neck pillow, table warmer and cozy sheets to all of my treatments. Warmth adds relaxation and a sense of home. Experience the peace!

Thursday, December 9th at 5:30pm at our office - 850 2nd St. Ste. A, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.

Bring friends! We'll see you soon!

lotusbodywork.net

To Take a Deep Breath

2010-11-17T16:05:00.001-08:00

If you feel like it's difficult to take a full breath in, try lengthening by lifting your chin towards the ceiling as you inhale. This motion lifts the chest and gives the lungs more room to expand. As you exhale bring the chin back to a level, center position. Repeat as much as you like, moving slowly and carefully. Enjoy!

Lotus Bodywork

Breathe, You Are Alive!

2010-11-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Today (and tomorrow) is the Day of the Dead in Mexico, a day where they put up pictures of loved ones who have passed, and decorate altars with favorite foods, flowers, and beautiful things. It's a happy day. Today I celebrate my son and especially miss him.

Today is also a day that I am alive. A day to go outside and breathe in the Fall air, the changing trees, to be grateful that I get to be here on the earth and love my family and friends.

I breathe in a full, herby, spicy breath of air, and I slowly breathe out. I feel my body taking in the oxygen, letting out carbon dioxide. I feel my heart beating and I acknowledge that I am LIVING, and that it is for now and not always, and I am grateful!

Lotus Bodywork

Watch Something Slow

2010-07-23T14:33:00.001-07:00

Take a three minutes today and watch something that moves slowly. It could be tree branches, the steam off of your coffee, a cobweb in the breeze, you find it.

As you focus on this movement, notice how your own body changes as you take it in. Enjoy these moments of simply observing the beauty in this movement.

Notice your breath slow, your heart rate slow, your thoughts slow, as you let everything go but this one action of watching.

Our lives move inhumanly quickly. But our nature is more like a tree than a computer. It's so wonderful to allow some connection to a graceful movement, and realize that this could be how we live more often!

Take a deep breath, and move gracefully through your next task!

Enjoy!
Jessica Malmberg
Giving You Back to Yourself
Therapuetic Massage and Cranio Sacral Therapy

Begin Where You Are - Starting a Breathing Practice

2010-06-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be this really deep, philosphical, spiritual person to have a simple practice of setting aside a moment just for breathing every day.

Now that I have baby Luna my routine has changed, but I CAN wake up, sit with her in my arms, and take three slow, deep breaths, before we start our day. It helps put me in the present moment, in my body, and in an easy state of mind.

The point is, you don't have to change into the person you IMAGINE having this great practice, you can just be exactly who you are, and bring in the breath in a way that works for you. It is helpful to try to do it the same way each day. Here are some hints:

1) Choose a time. (example - morning)
2) Choose a place (bed, couch, porch, car)
3) Choose an amount - ( 3 breaths, 5 minutes, 20 minutes)
4) Do this every day

If you do this the same way each day, see how your days shift, and how your breathing shifts. Keep it simple, and enjoy it!

Lotus Bodywork

Breathing for Flow

2010-05-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

"The feeling I like to maintain in my body is a streaming, breezelike sensation in my belly and chest. I call it flow. I take care to notice when I am nout of flow. Usually it is because of some emotion I am withholding. A few good breaths are usually all it takes to reestablish flow in my body." Conscious Breathing by Gay Hendricks, PhD

Conscious breathing doesn't mean you have to be constantly thinking about your breath, but that here and there throughout the day you check in and see if you're tightening up. Things like traffic, a difficult phone call, a long line, can bring up emotions that make us hold the breath. When you notice the holding, allow yourself some refreshing, calm breaths and see if you shift into a nice flow.

To receive weekly Breath Tips sign up HERE

Breathing When You Feel Tired

2010-03-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

This excerpt from the book Conscious Breathing by Gay Hendricks tells how he uses breath to help his body during his computer time.

"I have learned to use body-cues as reminders to take a conscious breath or two. One cue is a slightly achy feeling in my back, shoulders, and arms that is a signal to me that I'm getting tired. As I typed, I seemed to feel this cue every five or ten minutes. Whenever I felt it, I would take a few deep belly-breaths and change my body position slightly. The achy feeling would immediately disappear."

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

2009-12-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

"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

2009-07-14T12:25:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-09T13:33:00.001-07:00

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

2009-06-02T09:41:00.001-07:00

"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

2009-05-12T15:14:00.003-07:00

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.

2009-05-12T15:14:00.001-07:00

Breathing When You Have a Cold

2009-05-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-31T16:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

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.

Inhale to Receive

2009-03-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

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!

No Need to Hold Your Breath

2009-02-16T11:41:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-30T10:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

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.

Go Ahead and Make a Resolution to Feel Better - It Really Works!

2008-12-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! In the time of the stillness and sleep of the earth, it is a great time to go within and think about what you would like for your new year. What does your heart need? What would make you feel better?

Next, go ahead, make that resolution. Turns out they actually make a difference. Clinical psychologist John Norcross was interviewed on NPR, and his research says that 46% of people who make a resolution actually follow through with it through 6 months. If you actually make a resolution, you are more than twenty times more likely to follow through with it than if you just think about making a change. You have a great chance here to step into a new part of yourself.

Write it down, or take a moment to sit and close your eyes and tell yourself, "this is my resolution". Telling a friend your resolution and having them ask you about it over the next few months makes a big difference with whether or not you'll follow through, according to this research.

Also, the more specific and realistic the goal, the more likely you will keep it.

So get excited about the possibilities, and write them into your life. If one of your goals is to feel better, to have more energy, to have more peace in your life, I would be happy to help you create a plan to bring this shift through bodywork and breathing.

Have fun thinking of what you want in your life! Here are some good examples of health related goals.

* Take that wonderful outside walk 3 times a week - write it in your schedule
* Schedule your self care and massages regularly - get them on the calendar!
* Schedule an appointment with a nutritionist, get some solid ideas about eating well (www.healthyhabitscoach.com)
* Plan technology-free evenings or weekends - peace and quiet
* Start Pilates work to strengthen your core - Jeanne Marie Manning is wonderful jeanne-m@sonic.net - 538-2268
* Drinking 8 glasses of water a day
* Create a schedule for a time of meditation or creativity (sketching, journaling) in
your week

Three Breaths

2008-12-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Solstice this weekend! Happy Christmas, Hanukkah, Season of Lights. And along with the happiness of the season comes a lot to do. So as you are getting into your car to accomplish many tasks, and go into a world where patience is worn thin by long lines in big stores after working a long day, I have a suggestion that can shift your mood.

As you sit in the car and put your seat belt on, take three breaths before you start the car. Three breaths that start in your belly, rise up to your chest, and slowly release. This takes about 30 seconds. It feels like a long time when you have a lot to do, but it's a small investment for a nice benefit. These three breaths are like a re-boot for your mind and body. A chance to shift your focus to something more pleasant, something of the moment - the way the sky looks, what it feels like to be alive at this very moment, this day of December in 2008. Here you are.

These three deep breaths give your body and brain an extra jolt of oxygen. If they could sell breathing they would, but it's free and it gives you energy and clarity! So simple, and you don't have to wait in line for it. Your body might even keep it up for a while, these deeper breaths, seeing how good it feels, how it feeds your cells, even as you drive. (When you're thinking a lot, or stressed out, it's easy to take shallow breaths, and the brain and body are working with less fuel.)

If you want to take this one step further, try driving silent - no radio or music. You may notice some beautiful things. Parents walking their kids home from school, a pretty tree with bare branches, some ways to participate in your environment rather than just sailing through in the car. You may find yourself receiving, which is wonderful when you are giving so much of yourself.

So: Thirty seconds and three breaths = feeling awake and clear for the next part of your day.

Enjoy these dark, long nights. May you sleep long and replenish!

Tree Meditation for Grounding and Belonging

2008-12-08T19:58:00.001-08:00

Welcome to this blog! It's going to be all about simple, powerful things we can do to be more alive; to have a peaceful, vital life.

Last night I sat at the base of the tree in my backyard. This is something I have started doing this year after my son died, to release fear, to let the powerful sensations of anxiety and grief in my body have a place to go, and they go into the earth. I sit at the base of the tree and I feel myself breathe in, I feel myself breathe out. I imagine the deep roots of the tree, I let my consciousness go down with the roots, into the earth. The earth is steady. It holds us up. It is happy to take our stress. It takes the hum of the computer, the electricity all around us, the frustrating conversations, and soaks them up to be shifted. It gives us the minerals of the soil, the comfort of womb-like darkness.

I come back to myself, back to my heart. Then I breathe into the branches of the tree, I let my consciousness go into the sky, reach up like the branches for the moisture in the air, the sun, or the moon, all the universe that is above and around us. I breathe into my body and imagine all of the stars, all the space that is there. I feel like I am part of something grand. To feel rooted and expanded at once is amazingly helpful. It helps me remember who I really am. A child of the earth, a child of the universe, with access to all of its energy and wisdom.

To do this tree meditation:
1) Sit at the base of a tree, or lean onto a tree 2) Breathe in and out deeply for several minutes, into your heart 3) Send your consciousness down to the roots of the tree, allow your stress to flow out through the 1st chakra (bottom of pelvis) to the earth, be nurtured by the minerals and soil 4) Breathe in and out deeply, into your heart 5) Send your consciousness up to the branches of the trees, be nurtured by the air, the sun, the sky, sending you light 6) Come back to your heart

This meditation reminds us of the abundance of the universe, and that we belong to it. We can get help from something as simple as a tree. It allows us relieve ourselves of feelings, thoughts, stress that don't serve us. To hold in these feelings is to become tired, to become ill, to become stuck. Breathing deeply against a tree, or with feet on the earth or a stone, will help bring us into our bodies, our hearts, and not so completely in our heads. From this place of belonging and balance, we have so much to offer.

I'll be updating this blog about once a week. I look forward to questions and comments. Blessings!