This unique time on the planet has left many people feeling uncertain about their personal and collective futures. Such ongoing angst has yielded a tremendous sense of anxiety along with feelings of hopelessness.
Two Practices to Offset Your Angst:
1. Staying Grounded with an easy body scan: as you do this self-scan ensure you practice long deep inhales and exhales via the nose:
Focus on your breath.
Begin sensing the ground under your feet.
Recite internally, I am aware that my feet are the ground.
Feel your toes on the ground.
Recite internally, I am aware that my toes are on the ground.
Slowly begin to observe your surroundings.
Feel the texture of your clothing. Feel your calves and your thighs. Feel yourself sitting down.
Recite internally, I am aware of the chair supporting me.
Feel the tips of your fingers.
Recite internally, I am aware of the tips of my fingers.
Feel your back and neck relaxed. Feel the breath slowly moving into the abdomen and the chest.
Recite internally, I am aware of my breath.
Notice the sensation of the breath in the nostrils.
Recite internally, I am aware of the sensation of my breath.
Notice the saliva in your mouth.
Recite internally, I am aware of the saliva in my mouth.
Notice your body temperature.
Recite internally, I am aware of my body temperature.
Look around and slowly notice what you are seeing. Notice what you are hearing. Soften your eyes and focus on your breath.
2. Simple Breathing Technique. The box breath is a simple technique to create relaxation by directing the breath using an equal inhalation to exhalation ratio. Your belly will rise as you inhale through the nose and lower as you exhale through the nose. Know that mouth breathing through can actually create more anxiety!
- Start becoming aware of your breath.
- Slowly and gently begin to lengthen and deepen your breath.
- Breathe into the abdomen, feeling the belly expanding outward.
- After a few deep and slow breaths, you will begin to count with the breath to regulate the length of the inhalation and exhalation.
- Inhale through the nose with a long, slow count of 2.
- Exhale through the nose, with a long, slow count of 2.
- Repeat the long, slow count of 2 for the inhale and the exhale until you feel your body and mind begin to relax, and that your breathing pattern has become a calm, gentle and equalized. pattern.