Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.

- Carl Jung

You know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you hear tragic news or you encounter a terrible accident? It’s that really awful sensation in your gut that takes your breath away. How often do you get that feeling? More important, how often do you forget to inhale and exhale fully?

On a typical day we don't usually experience tragedy or a terrifying scene, but the regular and consistent stress we encounter can prove just as bad to our health. I know when I'm feeling stressed or anxious, my breath becomes much more shallow. In fact, sometimes I catch myself holding my breath and with that, holding in my tension.

The effect this has on our bodies, particularly when dealing with chronic stress is definitely worth addressing. Carrying tension in the body for prolonged periods of time has been shown to contribute to irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, stroke, migraines, depressed immune system, cancer, weight gain, and insomnia.

Fortunately, there are simple things we can do to ease stress and lessen the impact on our health. One of my favorite things to teach my clients for stress management (I practice this daily) is the 4-7-8 breathing exercise. There are many different types of breathing techniques that can bring you into a noticeably more relaxed state. One of the best breathing exercises is one that I learned from my hero, the integrative medicine pioneer, Dr. Andrew Weil.

He calls this particular exercise "the 4-7-8 (or relaxing breath) exercise." I call it magic! You can do this exercise anytime and anywhere. Sit back and allow me to walk you through it.
- Sit with your back straight.
- Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there throughout the entire exercise.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
- Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a count of four (count in your head).
- Hold your breath for a count of seven.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
- This is one complete breath. Inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four cycles.

You'll want to inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. And, your exhalation will take twice as long as your inhalation. It doesn't really matter how long you spend on each phase, the important thing is that you maintain the 4:7:8 ratio.

Over time and with practice you'll learn how to slow down your pace, and inhale and exhale more deeply. Once you develop this technique and practice it every day, notice the tranquilizing effect it has on your body. It truly is amazing. I recommend doing the exercise once in the morning and once at night. And, definitely use it whenever you're feeling internal tension.

Check in several times with your breath throughout the day and remind yourself to breathe. This simple reminder along with regular use of "the relaxing breath" can make a profound difference to your health.

Let me know what you think. Post your comments on my facebook page.

Powered By