Stop right now and notice your breathing? Are you taking nice full, deep breaths? If you are like most of us, the answer will be no.
Simple deep breathing is a great way to still an overactive mind and calm you down, or uplift and energize you.
And yet most of us tend to breathe on the shallow side. And when under stress we often hold our breath without even realizing that we’re doing it.
So here’s a great exercise to help bring your awareness to your breathing.
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- Put one hand on your belly and one hand one your solar plexus.
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- Take a nice long inhale through your nose, and as you exhale through your mouth, imagine you are cooling a hot bowl of soup.
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- As you inhale, feel the belly gently expand into your hand, and as you exhale feel it soften. Also, with each breath, feel the solar plexus relax.
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- With each breath make the inhale and exhale a little longer.
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- If you are feeling tired or sluggish and want to energize your body and your brain, focus on the inhale and make it twice as long as the exhale.
- If, on the other hand, you want to calm and relax your body and mind, focus on the exhale and make it twice as long as the inhale.
If you need regular reminders to breathe, simply text the word “breathe” to 313131. You’ll get the occasional text message reminding you to take a few deep breaths. Or you can find out more by visiting www.breathetext.com