“Remember to breathe. It is after all, the secret of life.” – Gregory Maguire

There is so much power in your breath.

Other than being your life force, your breath can heal and refresh you.

Have you noticed how your breathing changes when you’re stressed or anxious? And how you breathe can also affect how you feel?

If the unconscious act of breathing keeps you alive, can you imagine what it can unleash when you breathe mindfully? 🤔

A superpower you didn’t even know you had!

Here is an easy breezy exercise I’ve been doing everyday to pause and ground myself. Bonus: it can be done anywhere and anytime 👇

1) Start with your breath

Stress can cause shortness of breath.

We breathe faster and take shorter breaths when we’re stressed out. So how can you use your inhales and exhales to your advantage? First focus on how you’re breathing. Fast, slow… just let it be. Next, take a big inhale filling your belly, feel the air flowing through your body. Then, easy exhale release, soften as you let everything out

2) Sensitize with your breath

Do the above exercise a couple of times. Next, use your breath to scan your body. With each inhale opening you up and exhale relaxing everything. Is there soreness or tightness somewhere? Notice how you feel and adjust. Is there anything you can do to feel better? Maybe drop your shoulders, relax your sight, move your neck side to side. Repeat this for as much as you want. From a couple of seconds to several minutes

3) Move with your breath

If you want to go a little bit further, tune your breath with your movements. Move slowly but with intention. Either you’re walking, sitting or working out…our breaths are always fueling us. It grounds us, energizes us and connects us.

Don’t move for the sake of moving but tune in to how you’re moving, how you’re feeling and how you want to feel. Let your breath guide your movements: maybe try walking with your breath and start to play around.

Hope this helps! Sometimes just focusing on the breath can be calming and grounding. I challenge you to give it a try throughout your day and notice how you feel ☺️ Small practices, big changes

“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts. Whenever your mind becomes scattered, use your breath as the means to take hold of your mind again.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Hugs from Toronto,

Jess