On the last day of our Build a Better You Advent calendar the little door opens into: breathing and a special present for you!
Breathing: breathe more of it into your life
Today I want to share with you something that made a huge difference in my life in a positive, albeit surprising, way. Breathing.
I was invited to a workshop that introduced me to different intentional breathing techniques. It seemed only a little silly. I mean, breathing is something I’ve been fortunate not to have to think about really. It was just in the background. Wallpaper.
From that point on I would eagerly jump out of bed in the morning to “do my breathing.” If I missed even two days my husband would nudge me at 6 a.m. out of bed, saying, “Don’t you want to do your breathing?”
That’s how tremendous it was making me feel. I didn’t have the words to describe the practical and physiological benefits intentional breathing was having on me and my life. Maybe that’s why my husband would jostle me – he was feeling the positive effects vicariously.
What was so great about all this intentional breathing?
One of my parts is very curious and always wants to know more. So that part went in search of answers. The more research I did the more I understood that “doing my breathing” was changing me for the better. I was:
- Resetting my autonomic nervous system
- Keeping me more in step with the present, calm and yet energized, too
- Connecting more deeply with the world around me
For example, what had always been beautiful in nature was now more beautiful, not just to my eyes but also inside my body. I started feeling things more passionately, getting more inspired, and even having more fun.
I also learned that the particular way I was “doing my breathing” in the morning was a breathing practice called Breath of Fire, one of the fundamental breath techniques used in the practice of Kundalini yoga.
The Breath of Fire is done by pumping the navel in and out while breathing rapidly through the nose (mouth closed). Research suggests breathing in this way:
- Releases toxins and deposits from the lungs, mucus linings, blood vessels, and other cells
- Expands lung capacity
- Increases vital strength
As I have learned more, I have found other breathing techniques that are very effective promoting positive feelings and calm. They will open up new possibilities to you as feelings of anxiety and depression are lowered and even disappear.
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The breathing practice was one of the best things I ever did for myself and I found it serendipitously. Now you can have it too!
I created “Breathing in Calm, Sitting in Stillness, Reducing Anxiety, and Calming Your Busy Mind” as my holiday gift to you.