It’s the latest mantra of our modern culture: “I’m stressed out.”
But what this statement is really saying is, “I am not efficiently processing all of the stimulation that I am experiencing.”
When we are feeling overwhelmed with stress and external demands, our whole body is affected. Maybe we experience physical aches and pains, or maybe we become forgetful, lose focus, or find our thoughts racing out of control. Maybe we have trouble making decisions, or get into fights with our loved ones. Stress levels affect our digestion, our sleep patterns, our relationships, our work, and they affect each of us differently.
When we find ourselves & our society facing racial tensions, political dispute, and worldwide unrest, we have a lot more playing into our stress levels than our own individual day to day tasks. But I don’t have to convince you of all the reasons why we’re all so stressed.
Instead, I want to focus on how we can control our stress levels, and this happens only through using our breath and our focused attention to process the things we are experiencing.
This video shows a super simple breathing technique that instantly activates your parasympathetic nervous system — the part of your body that calms your feelings of stress.
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Originally Published on Maria Borghoff.com and is republished on Medium.
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This is some really powerful thing. I really feel that the way we breath can affect so much about our lives. I really love the techniques you show here. I will have to try and make them a part of my daily routines.