Happy October 1st! Here in Minnesota it smells like fall and I love it!
I also love our topic of the week: what’s on your mind. Frankly, there’s a lot on my mind, as I'm sure it is with you since our world's on fire...literally and figuratively. And it's October which means I’ll be hiding out in my editing cave—busy busy—but with so much uncertainty it’s difficult to concentrate. Maybe the post should be what isn’t on my mind…hmm.
C’est la vie, and so the most important thing on my mind right now is finding peace.
I did a brain retraining class in the spring and one of the key points that stuck was the need to settle/calm the mind each day. Step one was breathing. Breathing! Easy…right?
Take one hand and place it on your chest and place the other hand on your belly. And breathe.
Which hand moves? My chest hand was the one going up and down…and it should be the hand on your belly. Chest breathing happens when your body’d limbic system is stuck and keeps you in stress-mode = not good.
Ever watch a baby sleep? Their bellies move, not their rib cage. Babies don’t stress, they sleep…like a baby.
Seriously, who breathes wrong?! Me, that’s who. I had to consciously breathe from my belly, and it wasn’t easy to consciously breath differently, but after a week or so I’d only catch myself chest breathing here and there. And it definitely made me more calm which made that whole calming the mind easier and also helps with yoga.
One step at a time. Now that I’ve done my yoga for the day it’s time to EDIT!
For those a step ahead of us chest breathers, coffee cheers to you! And tell me—how do you relax?
