Sunday Stillness - School & Budget Season
Happy Back to School/Budget season!
I see a lot of posts on Facebook and Instagram on kids going back to school. I can imagine how stressful but relieved some parents must feel durning this time. So, I thought I would share a stress release but energy producing breathing technique this week.
And if your company is on a fiscal year calendar; then it approaching budget season…and this breathing technique will be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Before we get into the goodies of breathing…how was everyones celebration week?
Did you enjoy the youtube song/video? Did it get your body moving and your heart warm? Please hit reply and share. I would love to hear from you.
Okay, the moment we have all been waiting for.
Breath is the essence of life. We approximately the 17,000 breaths each day, which over lifetime totals about 500 million. Your breathing supports every experience you have from the time of your first inhalation to that of your last exhalation. Breath is life.
For most people, breathing is the only autonomic nervous system function that they can influence. Modern physiology divides the nerves system in two main components- the voluntary nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.
The voluntary nervous system is active when you clap your hands, wave your arms (like you did last week at our dance party) and use your legs to walk. Although many of these functions occur with only minimal conscious intention, you have the ability to initiate and stop the use of the muscle groups at will.
The autonomic feverous system governs basic bodily functions over which you usually have no conscious ability to influence. These include core physiological functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, regulation of your temperature, hormone levels in your body, perspiration and the movement of food though your digestive track.
Modern neurological science suggest that most people are incapable of directly affecting these core physiological processes. The processes function on their whether or not you are paying attention to them or attempt to alter them. Most people do not know how to influence their blood pressure, change the flow of their blood, reduce their sweating, or affect their digestive function.
Well, Sunday Stillness tribe…you are not most people. :). Through this breathing technique, you can use your breath to influence your physical and mental states. This will be easy mastered and provide you prompt and powerful effects.
This is called the complete breath, full belly breathing or Dirgha Pranayama (Sanskrit).
You will want to be sitting upright or laying on your back with your knees bent. Both the inhalation and exhalations are through your nostrils. For the first breath, inhale slowing and deeply directing the air into your lower lungs by consciously using your diaphragm.
Your belly should rise up as you inhale and as you exhale, lower your belly just as air escapes from a balloon. Repeat this pattern four times, drawing the air into the lower chambers of your lungs, maintaining smooth and rhythmic breathing.
After you are comfortable with this first step, begin filling the middle section of your lungs with air. Start by filling your lower regions as before, and then direct your inflow to your mid lung region by opening your ribcage. You will feel your ribs expanding between your diaphragm and your breaths. Inhale and exhale four times filling both the bottom and middle areas of your lungs.
Finally, drawing air into the bottom and middle regions of your lungs, continue breathing in. Fill the upper lungs so that you are breathing into your collarbone. Practice the complete breath so your inhalation's and exhalations flow in a smooth, continuous motions.
Sequentially, direct your attention from your diaphragm to your ribs to you clavicle. Envision this deep conscious breathing coursing the organs, tissues and cells in your body, enabling them to preform their vital function effortlessly in accordance with their purpose.
This breathing exercise is a tool to help you channel your vital faces in evolutionary ways the bring you higher levels of physical and emotional wellbeing- enjoy!
If you have any questions about this breathing technique; hit reply. I’m here to help.
See you in stillness,
Kimberly
Founder of practicestillness.com
Certified Meditation Instructor | Reiki Master | Mentor