Breathe.

This simple act has the power to calm your mind, connect you to your body, and cultivate a sense of inner peace and clarity. While breathing is one of the most healing and centering things we can for ourselves, it is easy to forget to bring awareness to this dynamic force.

Our breath sustains life and is one of our most powerful tools for transformation. The breath cleanses physical toxins, releases stored emotions, and nourishes every cell in the body. In yoga, the breath is known as "prana" which translates to "life force", or "to fill". The Hindus believe that breath is a gateway between the mind and body. When you bring awareness to your breath, you can quiet your thoughts, and allow a soothing, healing rhythm to flow through your body. This flow of breath, this force of life, continually enters and leaves the body, connecting you to the present moment and to the world around you. It is a reminder of the constant eb and flow of life.

The average person uses only about 1/3 of their lung capacity. Shallow breathing leads to stress, anxiety, depression, inability to concentrate, poor metabolism, fatigue and a build up of toxins in the body. Bad breathing habits contribute to many manifestations of physical disease.

I recently was talking with a friend who is trying to quit smoking cigarettes. He told me that he smokes more when he is working on a stressful job. He said that smoking is a socially acceptable way to take a break, and ironically enough, breathe. While I am not a fan of smoking, I could see his point. When someone smokes a cigarette, they lengthen their inhales and exhales, quiet their mind, and momentarily remove themselves from their shallow breathing stressful day. Unfortunately, this habit not only pollutes the body, but the air around us, which makes it harder for everyone to breathe deeply. This conversation with my friend brought my attention to one of the most addictive things about smoking, which is simply the act of breathing.

I suggest removing the smoke from a "smoke break" and take a "breath break" instead. If you are a smoker or not, everyone can all benefit from this calming exercise. The next time you find yourself stressed at work, caught up in your thoughts, or overwhelmed with your day, take 5 minutes to try this simple relaxing and healing technique:

Breath Break

1. Sit or stand in a comfortable position, preferably outside, or in a quiet space.
2. Close your eyes. Rest your hands in your lap, or release them to the sides of your body.
3. Bring your awareness to your normal breath without changing or deepening it for 10 breaths. Notice how you feel in your body and where you are holding any tension. Notice any thoughts you are holding onto that are stressful.
4. Soften any places in your body where you feel tension-relax your face, your jaw, your shoulders, your hands.
5. Take 10 deep, slow breaths in and out through your nose, with a slight constriction in the back of your throat. As you inhale, fill your lungs to their full capacity, noticing the expansion you feel through your belly, your whole chest cavity, and across your shoulders. As you exhale, empty your lungs completely and notice the experience of complete absence of breath.
6. Next, take 10 deep breaths, making your exhalations twice as long as your inhalations. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4. As you inhale, imagine your breath moving into any parts of your body where you are holding tension, or to any stressful thought you are carrying. Now, exhale through your mouth slowly for a count of 8. As you exhale, imagine your breathe releasing your physical tension, and cleansing your mind of your stressful thoughts. Let each new breathe bring in health and a sense of peace.
7. Open your eyes and take a moment to connect to your surroundings.
8. Return to your day and take with you this new sense of inner peace, calm and connection.

I recommend take a breath break at least 3 times per day. You will be amazed at how it will make you feel! You can create the change you want in your body, your mind and your spirit, one breath at a time.