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Dear Rain,
How do
we best hold our own tone, stay in the positive zone, when we are juggling the
needs of so many in an "active" situation. For example, we are going to a playdate with
several unschooling families and I know everyone will have a great time and
that it's going to be good. Yet my
"experience" tells me that by the end I will be tired just from
juggling the needs of so many young children. What do you suggest to help me
keep my energy UP?
Dear Reader,
I can tell you in one word, the best way to relax your
energy down and to raise your energy up.
That word is:
BREATHE
You may think this is an over-simplification. Yes, most of the best things in life are
simple. Let’s take a deeper look at what
we do when we breathe.
We
inhale and exhale.
We
inspire and expire.
How many of us truly pay attention to our breathing pattern? It is an automatic function of our body to
keep us alive, yet when we take a deep breath into our belly, something shifts
inside us. Take three or more deep breaths
and slowly watch your whole world begin to look differently. Why is this?
In Hatha yoga classes the instructors will begin and end with deep breathing exercises. You breathe deeply at the beginning of the class to increase oxygen flow to the muscles and brain and to aide in energy flow of your body. You breathe deeply at the end to calm your muscles and brain and to aide in relaxation and meditation during the corpse pose.
Your breath is extremely powerful if using it is a way to create both energy
levels in your body by breath alone!
Some might say it is the spirit that
lives within us!
How can you use this same technique to create the energy before the playdate and the relaxation at the end of the day? I would like to tell you it’s simple to do. Of course if that were true, everyone would be doing it and we know that they don’t and many of us don’t either.
No, there is something else a bit deeper that stops people from breathing for
health, relaxation and energy. The
reason is a natural reaction and everyone does it. We do it without thinking. We do it and it goes unnoticed by any doctor,
friend, and family member. It is a “secret”
of sorts that no one really seems to talk about.
We stop breathing when we think life might not be worth living.
What?! I hear the defenses going up. Before you stop reading… let me explain.
What do you do when you hear bad news?
What do you do if you think you might fall? What do you do when you feel the negative
past “experiences” might possibly be up for a rerun? What do you do when you feel any lower energy
emotional feeling? Start noticing and
you will see.
You… Hold… Your… Breath… ...
.. .. . .
It is an instinct. It stops time and life for a moment for us to
think and process. The minute we realize
there is some possibility worth living for, we start to breathe.
The reason might be
just for the excitement of the negative drama (yes we love them, don’t we?),
for the love of a fight, just to see what will happen next, for the realization
that we will survive… we will be okay… we will be just fine… then it happens… huuuuuuuhhhhhh….
we inhale… we inspire.
Whether or not you
decide to start your own personal study of when you breathe, it’s easy to
notice that breathing is an act of life.
Will you choose life? And what
kind of life will you choose?
a shallow life
a quick life
a hurried life
an excited life
an out-of-control life
a slow life
a deep life
a full belly life
a thoughtful life
or a rhythmic life
The most beautiful
thing is that you get to choose by the practice of your breathing pattern. It really works and you can use your breath
to get through your playdate with confidence and the energy you never thought
you had!
Breathe for high energy. Stand confidently tall as you relax your
shoulders and body. Take a deep breath
in your nose and allow your diaphragm to move out, expanding your belly. Next, exhale out your mouth and notice your
belly contracting back in. Breathe into
your belly again in just 4 seconds and this time imagine a pure white light is
coming in filled with buzzing, joyful energy.
Hold your breath for 4 seconds as the tired and old energy mixes into
your lungs. Exhale out in just 4 seconds
and imagine all of that old, tired and heavy energy is leaving you. Breathe in this fast way at least 5 times and
feel your world power up!
Breathe to lower energy. Sit in a relaxed way as you take a deep breath in through your nose, again into your belly and out your mouth. Breathe into your belly again slowly working to slow yourself down to an 6-8-second inhale and this time imagine wisdom coming into the breath to serve you. Hold your breath for only 2-3 seconds as you absorb the wisdom of the ages. Breathe out slowly for 8 seconds as you let go of all the stress of the moment. Wait for 2-4 seconds between breaths. One of these will relax you and can be done in any stressful moment.
Just remember staying in awareness and noticing if you stop breathing is a practice. Be kind to yourself. As learning any new instrument, it takes practice to begin and a decade to master. Start now and watch your inspired life begin!
smiles and inspiration!
Rain
You can find out more about Rain and life coaching at her website:
Copyright 2009 by Rain Fordyce