How to thrive in this holiday season

Wow! It has been a while since I sat down to write a post for the blog. Where has the time gone?? 

Well I am back ya'll and full of new information and topics to share with all of you thanks to some amazing workshops and training I have been fortunate to be a part of.
So since we just pasted Thanksgiving here in the states and are heading into the Winter Holiday season, I thought I focus the next few posts on how to have a healthy and happy Holidays!!


Part I: Breath it is good for you!

AHHHHHHH!
It is that time of year again. Yep, you know it. The air is turning chili, the stores are all playing Christmas music and Santa seems to be everywhere!

 It is time for the winter holidays.

A wonderful time of joy and laughter, but also for many people, a time for a great deal of stress and worry.
Quite often we feel pressured to please everyone around us, trying to buy the most or "best" holiday gifts, cater to whims of family and friends and even fill our already full schedule with even more events and commitments.

So it makes you wonder... in our attempts to create such a joyous holiday season have we lost the real focus of the season? 

Do you find you get lost in the lists, commitments and that one last item to bake?
I know I do.

So lets stop for a minute and take a deep breath.
Thats right. Breath slowly in and then let it out. Now don't you feel better? And that didn't take very long at all did it?

The first things we do as a baby is take a deep breath. So lets check in with ourselves. How are you breathing?? Is it short and gaspy? Are you breathing with your stomach or just in your chest? Do you feel the air filling up your lungs and then completely empty out?

Now: I'm going to let you in on a secret. 

Many people actually don't actually understand how they breath. 

It is understandable though, as we breath automatically, but lets take a moment and get to know ourselves a little better. And understand how our amazing body performs such an important function.


The Basics:

From: "Take a deep breath" MAY 2009 Harvard Mental Health Letter

When you inhale your intercostal muscles and diaphragm contract, the intercostal muscles moving the rib cage up and out and the diaphragm flattening downward, expanding the chest cavity. This expansion creates a negative pressures space which must be equalized. With the decrease of internal air pressure the air from outside your body floods oxygen into to your lungs.  When we exhale the muscles relax and the chest cavity returns to it's normal size. This creates an area of higher pressure inside the body forcing the carbon dioxide to rush out of the body.

For a full scientific breakdown see here.

So now that we understand the basic mechanics of how we breath, lets look at two different breathing exercises to help keep you calm and grounded this holiday season. 

Breathing for Your Health

Long Deep Breathing

Some of the many benefits:

• Relaxes and calms.
• Regulates the body’s pH (acid-akaline balance), which affects the ability
• to handle stressful situations.
• Gives capacity to manage negativity and emotions, supporting clarity, cool headedness, and patience.
• Activates and clears the nerve channels.
• Reduces and prevents the build-up of toxins in the lungs by encouraging the clearing of the small air sacs (alveoli).

Long Deep Breathing uses the full capacity of the lungs, by utilizing the three chambers of the lungs:

 Abdominal, or lower
 Chest or middle
Clavicular or upper

Long Deep Breathing starts by filling the abdomen, then expanding the chest, and finally lifting the upper ribs and clavicle. The exhale is the reverse: first the upper deflates, then the middle, and finally the abdomen pulls in and up, as the navel point pulls back toward the spine. First, practice by separating the three parts of the breath. Sit straight on the floor, in a chair, or lie on the back. Initially have the left hand on the belly, right hand on the chest to feel the movement of the diaphragm.

Such a simple breath, but a powerful one. Continue to breath in this fashion for a least three minutes.  

What I love about this breath, is that you can do it anywhere, around anyone with no one really the wiser. 

So when another holiday bill comes in or some one is asking you to do just one more thing. STOP and take that long deep breath. You will be amazed how you will feel more relaxed and able to handle things.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Some of the many benefits:

• Is both integrating and grounding.
• Creates a deep sense of well-being and harmony on the physical, mental, 
• and emotional levels.
• Can help with headaches, migraines, and other stress-related symptoms

How to do Alternate Nostril Breathing:

The breath is always relaxed, deep and full when doing this exercise. Have the left hand in Gyan Mudra or relaxed on your knee. Use the thumb of the right hand to close the right nostril, and the index finger or ring finger of the right hand to close the left nostril. Close the right nostril and gently and fully inhale through the left nostril. Then close the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril. Then inhale through the right nostril. Close the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril. Continue repeating, alternating nostrils after each inhalation for at least three minutes.

There now how do you feel? Better? 

I thought so!

The holidays don't have to be a time full of stress and woe; just stop and remember your breath. It is there for you and doesn't cost a thing. 

Lots of Love and Light to you all. 

PSK