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breathing
The "Harry Potter" author claims this one technique helped her recover from the virus.
Eight things to do when an episode hits.
By bringing attention to the breath throughout the day we can cultivate self-awareness. Something as simple as learning to breathe properly can have a significant impact on both your body and mind, leaving you feeling more efficient, productive and energized!
Stress -- it's that feeling we know all too well when things get busy at work, you're balancing what feels like a million different tasks at home and you still have to find that time to squeeze in a workout. It can be overwhelming, there's no denying that. The reality is, stress is just a part of life. However, the way we learn to manage stress makes all the difference in how it impacts our health.
Once we begin to understand how important breath is to our well being, how we stop breathing when we are stressed, how we breathe fast when we are excited or scared, how we exhale longer when we become relaxed -- once we begin to notice, we can use our breath to influence our mental and physical states.
Whether climbing a mountainous terrain, swimming in a serine lake, or catching a glorious sunset, being in nature fosters well-being in infinite ways, including balancing our nervous system, impacting cardiovascular health, and influencing our mood.
When you teach your child "calm breathing," you are using a technique that works to slow down his/her breathing, combating upset, stressed and anxious feelings. Teaching a child to use calm breathing to regulate their emotions is important because it shows them how to change their breathing to minimize the effects of their emotions.
In our daily lives, we lose ourselves in planning the future and reminiscing about the past. Our worries and fears hijack the present moment. But so many of us long to be more present in the Here and Now. Mindfulness is the perfect tool to anchor us in the Here and Now.
I hug an acquaintance, start catching up and then I start coughing. I take a sip of my wine but the mucus in my throat seems to get thicker. Cough. Cough. Wheeze. Cough. Some people are looking at me. Oh, how embarrassing. Deciding to catch my breath privately, I leave and head down the hall looking for a ladies' room while digging for my asthma puffer. Hmm, there's a distinct wheeze. It's OK. One good inhalation of this puffer is all I ever need. Uh oh. There's a problem. I can't inhale now.
Can we truly celebrate Christmas the way it is meant to be celebrated: intentionally, heart-fully, deliberately? Doing so without partaking in everything the season has to offer (complete with all the mayhem and chaos)? Does every moment have to count?
