Just breathe

Ahhh... the holidays. A time meant for joy and family and community and love. Unfortunately, it's also become a time of great stress for many. While people constantly comment that they need to watch their weight during this season, I'd suggest that watching your breathing is the most important thing anyone can do for themselves - not just for the holidays, but every day. Why should we care about our breathing when it's something we do automatically? Simply, we aren't breathing properly. Most people tend to do shallow breaths from their upper chest when we absolutely need to be breathing from the belly to really get the oxygen circulating. Did you know that 70% of the body's toxins are released through the exhale? 70%! So, how can you improve your breathing? Take mini breaks throughout the day to check on your breathing and follow my little acronym below to help get you on your way to less stress and a healthier body. 

                  Bring yourself to a stop.
                       Release the mind for a moment.
                       Engage all of your senses for
                       Awareness of your breath.
                       Take notice of where you
                       Hold tensions in your body and 
                       Exhale them out.
                       Inhale through your 
                       Nose
                       And from your belly,
                       Not your chest.
                       Drop your shoulders as you exhale
                       Out your mouth
                       Ushering your 
                       Toxins and tensions out of your body.


                                                                                                                                          Love, Adrienne :)