“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
A street sign next to a seaside path in Laguna Beach, California signals us to “Breathe.” Though we wouldn’t exist without breathing, the quality of our breath matters. It becomes shallow when we are frightened or anxious and deepens with relaxation and sleep. While we can’t always control what comes at us in life, we can exercise control over our breath.
In my experience, consciously slowing down my breath during times of distress is the key to slowing down my heart rate and, I suspect, the rate at which cortisol races through my body. In The Voice of the Body, Dr. Alexander Lowen shares that in Asian and mystic philosophies, the breath holds the secret to the highest bliss—the reason why breathing is the dominant factor in the practice of yoga.
How can you remind yourself to breathe deeply during distress?
No comments:
Post a Comment