You don't need to
fall into the stress mode of life. You can use breath to relax, rather than
stress, your mind and body. Yoga helps you to relearn that natural state that
your body and mind want to be in: relaxation.
Deep breathing is
both calming and energizing. The energy you feel from a few minutes of careful
breathe is not nervous or hyper, but that calm, steady energy we all need.
Slow, steady, and quiet breathing gives a message to your nervous system: Be
calm.
Whole books have been
written on yoga breathing. Here is one 5-minute Breath Break. (Read through the
instructions several times before you try the practice.)
1. Sit with your
spine as straight as possible. Use a chair if necessary but don't slump into
it. Feet flat on the floor with knees directly over the center of your feet.
Use a book or cushion under your feet if they do not rest comfortably on the
floor. Hands are on the tops of your legs.
2. Close your eyes
gently and let them rest behind closed lids.
3. Think about your
ribs, at the front, back, and at the sides of your body. Your lungs are behind
those ribs.
4. Feel your lungs
filling up, your ribs expanding out and up. Feel your lungs emptying, your ribs
coming back down and in. Don't push the breath.
5. The first few
times you do this, do it for 2 to 3 minutes, then do it for up to 5 to 10
minutes. At first, set aside a time at least once a day to do this. When you
learn how good it makes you feel, you'll want to do it at other times as well.
Just
as one stressful situation goes into your next challenge, relaxing for a few
minutes every day gradually carries over into the rest of your daily life and
activities.
