Just Breathe

Did you know that we take approximately 23,000 breaths per day. We don’t notice our breathing because it is involuntary, but taking time to focus on breathing has so many positive health benefits. Focused breathing can help with relaxing your nervous system, slowing your heart rate, reducing stress, relaxing tight muscles, increasing circulation, massaging your colon to help with digestion, and so on!

Try this focused breathing exercise to help you relax, unwind, refocus, and reduce tension:

• Find a comfortable position. A few of my favourite positions include: laying on your back with a pillow under your head and knees, sitting back in a chair with your feet on the floor, or relaxing into child’s pose
• Place your hands around your rib cage
• Take a deep breath in through your nose (smell the coffee). You should feel your rib cage rise against your hands. Imagine your rib cage as an umbrella opening with each breath in, we want that ribcage to expand 360 degrees
• Exhale through pursed lips (like you are cooling off your coffee); hold your exhale ~5 seconds
• Repeat this inhale/exhale cycle for 5-10 minutes

I hope you can include this exercise as part of your daily routine. If you are interested in learning more about Breathing, I encourage you to check out: https://unstoppableyouproject.com/breathwork/

Now, inhale… exhale… repeat…

- Andi

Registered Physiotherapist and Kinesiologist