Calming Breathwork
After the events of the past weeks, it seems like the perfect time to reset our nervous systems with calming breathwork.
Our nervous system was designed to protect us from danger and then return to homeostasis so we can navigate our daily lives. Our sympathetic nervous system, fight-or-flight, evolved so humans could quickly flee a dangerous situation such as running from a tiger for safety. Once that emergency has passed, our bodies are designed to calm down and return to the parasympathetic nervous system, rest, and digest.
In today’s digital world, during unimaginably trying world events, our brains are often hijacked by a ping on our phones–a news alert, opinion article, or the millions of comments at our fingertips can easily take us into fight-or-flight. Given the power of the computer in our hands, it’s not surprising that anxiety levels are higher than ever. Research finds that many people live in a state of chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system either through first-hand exposure to trauma or second-hand exposure through constant news updates and social media distraction. Both prevent access to the important state of rest and digestion.
In no way am I suggesting you hide your head in the sand. However, I do suggest that you add breathwork and grounding practices to your social advocacy toolkit lest your well runs dry.
In this short video I guide you into two calming breath practices that help lead from fight or flight into rest and digest. As you navigate the roller-coaster ride of daily life, these practices are tools to recenter, ground, and calm.