Most of us are probably feeling like life is stressful these days, frequently feeling anxious about one thing or another. Will my job get cut? Will I meet my quota? Am I spending enough time with my children? You may not notice, but a side-effect of anxiety is a tightening of the abdominal muscles. And guess what! When your abdominals tighten up, you not only compromise your posture, you're interfering with your breathing too!
Here's something you can do that can really raise your awareness about your breathing and help you maintain healthy breathing habits most of the time. Lie down on your back. You can bend your knees if your lower back is uncomfortable. Put one hand on your breast bone and the other just below your belly button. Practice slowly and gently breathing first into one hand and then into the other. Repeat this type of breathing about 10 times. Then rest with your hands by your sides for a few moments. Then switch your hands and repeat the alternating breathing about 10 more times. Notice if the second time it is easier to notice movement in your ribs and belly. As you "breathe into your belly" you are more deeply filling the lower regions of your lungs as well as releasing the tension in your abdominal muscles. Rest and breathe without trying to do anything. Just notice if your "normal" breathing has become deeper. Repeat this exercise everyday for a few days in a row and you'll almost surely notice a greater capacity to deal with stress from a place of calmness, and for sure, you'll have a tool to use any time the stress really starts to get to you!
No comments:
Post a Comment