A one-minute breathing excersise that can bring you from stress to relaxation
Have you ever felt like you need to take better care of yourself but that you don't have time? Me too. In my experience it's the little things that we do every day that really make a difference.
Practices that only take one minute - we can't say that we don't have time for ONE minute! In fact, we don't have time to get sick, which we might, if we don't take care of ourselves now... here's one of the jewels I've picked up on the way:
I learnt this technique from Anna Hallen and I found it SO useful as it’s very effective and take only ONE minute! It’s easy to get addicted, a healthy addiction!
· Set a timer to one minute. Count how many exhales you do during that minute.
·If you counted to 7 or above, you're in the sympathic nervous system, where stress has entered your body, where digestion doesn't works so well and inflammation, tension, dry membranes and headaches are common.
If you counted to 6 or less, you're in the parasympathetic nervous system, where the body prioritises good digestion, healthy skin, good sleep and healthy body fluids.
Now put the timer to one minute again. No parts of the body should cross each other (i.e. legs or arms). Relax the body, face, jaws...
Close your mouth and breathe only through the nose. Put your hand on the chest and feel the hand rising as you inhale. Inhale all the way into the belly. When it feels like you've fully inhaled, inhale a little bit more. Then slowly let the air flow out, silently, in it's own timing. When the body naturally wants to inhale again, let it, in the same way as previous breath. if it's possible, let the exhale be double as long as the inhale.
Most likely you number of breaths are quite a bit lower this time. Congratulations! You have now helped your body work well, reducing stress, promoting good nutritional uptake, reducing overweight, dryness and sleep disorders.
It's perfect to do this technique a few times per day, maybe each time you're on the toilet, or anytime really, even when having a baby in the shawl! (And yes it's an old photo, we haven't had a third baby!).
It only takes a minute, and it gives fantastic benefits for your health! You don’t need to do the initial count each time, only the slowing down of the breath. We can’t say we don’t have time for ONE minute! What we don’t have time for, is bad health!