Imagine having the power to manage your own internal states so that you get to choose how to live your life

Learning how to breathe well can create the optimum internal states for us to be responsive rather than reactive to life

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Mindful moments. How many of these do you allow yourself in your day?

A chance to come into presence, to notice your surroundings, to notice yourself. How do you feel?

Can you come into presence and connect through your senses to the here and now, and to yourself?

Can you take some slow deep inhalations and longer exhalations? And notice how you might feel differently now.

Belly breathing is an excellent practice to learn. One of the most accessible and quick, easy ways to manage our stress and feel back on track.

Learn how to inhale into your belly rather than your chest. Slowly and mindfully, inhale your belly like a balloon. Then allowing the air to leave slowly, deflating your belly like a balloon, for a little longer than your inhalation.

Repeat this practice for at least 5 minutes and notice how different you might feel.

Breathe in and out through the nose if possible.

Practice this throughout your day. At moments of high stress then, you will be well equipped to call upon this practice to reduce your stress.

This can be done lying down or sitting, wherever is comfortable for you.

The benefits of belly breathing are huge! To name a few.

• Imagine how empowering it feels to be able to recognise when we drop into a stress state and be able to switch easily into a calm, grounded state

• Imagine consciously dissolving the tension and tightness in our body

• Imagine being able to oxygenate and nourish all our internal organs far more efficiently, future-proofing our wellbeing and optimising the health of our body systems

• Imagine exercising and strengthening our diaphragm which in turn massages all our internal organs, improving their function and state

• Imagine we have the ability to lower our blood pressure and cortisol levels as well as regulate our heart rate

• Imagine connecting to ourselves easily rather than feeling disconnected and lost and reaching for external stimuli and all manner of adult soothers, to make ourselves feel better

• Imagine increasing our resilience to cope with life’s challenges

• Imagine how good it can feel, to enhance our self awareness, becoming the master of our own states and having agency to choose how we approach life. Simply through breathing well, we can create the optimum internal states to be responsive to life rather than reactive.

Please note the content I share is for information purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.