M14 Mindful Breathing

MINDFUL BREATHING

Breathing matters! When you are calm, your body is in a state of relaxation. Breathing is normal, your muscles are relaxed, and your heart rate is normal. But then life happens and you are thrown obstacles, some physical, some emotional, some just made up from your imagination. This puts your body into a state of stress. Your heart rate increases, blood pressure goes up, a stress hormone called Cortisol is spiked and your breathing becomes quicker and more shallow.

We need a way to get our body back to this relaxation state and the best way is not by taking a pill but by using Mindful Breathing. 

Mindful breathing is a deep breathing technique that requires you to focus on taking long, deep breaths in and out. It helps get more oxygen into your bloodstream, opening up your capillaries and veins. The vagus nerve above your diaphragm is activated, signaling the brain to slow down.  

We created a ball breathing technique for you to use daily to practice mindful breathing and make it a daily habit.

Benefits

• Reduced stress
• Lowered blood pressure
• Healthier lungs
• Promotes relaxation 
• Improved sleep
• Teaches mindfulness
• Reduces anxiety
• Manages cravings

HOW TO DO IT

HOW LONG?

We recommend completing 10 cycles in and out, or about 90 seconds. The longer and more often you use this technique, the more effective it becomes, so feel free to do more cycles or do it more than once a day.

WHEN TO DO IT?

The short answer is whenever you feel like you need it! We recommend picking one time of day: First thing in the morning, before lunch, at a specific time to break up your work day like 11am or 3pm (set an alarm), or right before bed to promote relaxation. 

CALM DOWN

Practice makes perfect! You can use this breathing technique to calm your mind and body down when you are in a stressful situation.