B is for Belly Breath

Breath is life, yet it’s easy to lose our connection with it. It happens outside our awareness. We breathe so automatically, that we rarely have our attention on it. Yet it helps to learn how to have some conscious control of it. It’s the only part of the nervous system we can control.

When life is stressful, we can use our breath to stay calm and connected. When we breathe deep into our core (belly), we move our energy into our bodies’ wisdom centers, and slows down the mind chatter. A simple way to reconnect with our breath is to be still, and take our awareness to it. Once our attention is there we can deepen our breath with the practice of belly breathing. 

How to do it: 

Bring your awareness to your breath. You likely feel or sense it in your nose and mouth, maybe your chest. Rest your attention there. Notice WHERE you feel it in your body. On your next inhale, allow your belly to release outward, and let the belly rise. Yes, it relaxes out on the inhale. You can place your hand on your belly and feel it gently rise. Then on the exhale it pulls back gently toward the spine. That’s it. Try it again. This takes a bit of practice. Inhale let the belly rise. Exhale it drops back.  A simple yet powerful practice. Practice doing belly breaths anytime, before bed or as you think of it during the day. If you keep at it over time you’ll feel it happen naturally. There are immediate benefits and long-term benefits to this type of breathing. Also known as diaphragmatic breathing.

You may not see breathing as part of a healthier lifestyle, but this simple practice is sadly missing from our tools. When you deepen your breath you gain a clearer connection to yourself and your needs. It also lends awareness to stressful thoughts and food cravings. Overall, there are many benefits to our health with enhanced breathing. 

The mind thinks and the body knows, let’s stay connected.