Paying attention to your breath forces you to slow down, connect to your body and be in the moment. It is something we are constantly doing but are rarely fully aware of. Therefore focusing on our breathing is a great place to start when talking about mindfulness. 

It is something that we can easily work on and adjust. It’s even possible to practice a deep breathing technique while standing in line at the grocery store. 

The importance of deep breathing is multi faceted. Some of the benefits include releasing toxins and reducing stress held in the body. Personally, I have always found myself to struggle with deep, consistent breathing. I often find myself unknowingly holding my breath and eventually having to take deep breaths that come out as loud sighs to make up for it. My goal is to learn how to cultivate a breathing practice that allows me to breathe deeply from my stomach on a regular basis. 

The breath is so intertwined with creating calm, centered people that it is something my son’s kindergarten class taught them about. Josh learned a helpful breathing technique that he happily taught us. Smell the flower, Blow out the candle. A simple way to stop the wandering brain if only for a minute and calm the nervous system. Clearly this is important when dealing with 20 plus six year olds! 

If it helps to wrangle the youngsters, imagine what a daily breathing practice, focusing on our breath and bringing our bodies into our awareness can do for us. 

Action Steps

1.  Pick one or two of the breathing exercises from this list or try all three. 

2. Decide on 2-3 times during the day when you will take a time out from your day and do the exercises. Spreading them throughout the day is a great way to stay focused and bring awareness back to the body. 

Helpful Resources

Breathing for Optimal Health