Breath, just breath

Have you tried doing any breathing exercises? I was asked recently. Boy, I was surprised when I tried...

I have been stressed out and chronically worried for a few years now and while building a regular yoga practice has helped, I have always struggled to fit in time in my daily work.

I have been following podcasts and habit creating websites to try to incorporate beneficial new habits, but I do struggle with morning routines. I am a true night owl and so far I haven't done the transition to early bird.

I have recently discovered Dr Chatterjee's podcast Feel Better Live More and thoroughly read his book Feel better in five, which talks about the importance of incorporating new habits by connecting with an already established habit. This is a great and innovative idea, which works ( although the getting up in the early hours requires a bit more effort-like going to bed at an early time, quit watching social media and avoid all blue light)

This is where breathing comes in. In my time watching Instagram I came across James Dowler, breathwithjames.co.uk. Sure, I have done a few breathing exercises in my yoga practice, but since I never established a regular yoga practice, I hadn't actually reaped the benefits of alternate nostril breathing or any other breathing practice. James is literally a fresh breath of air, he is passionate about what he does and has regular breathing exercises in Instagram where one breathes rhythmically, lengthening the exhales, holding your breath at the top and checking how you feel at every step of the ride. Exhaling is linked with the parasympathetic nervous system which has a direct effect on our body's ability to relax and calm down.

As daunting as it sounds,have an early start filled with mini rituals can have a definite knock off effect on the rest of your day, whether you start the day with a mini hum, or a tongue scraper, persevere in those little rituals that make you happy.

I am still working on my yoga practice. It might just follow my tongue scraping minutes, but it is most definitely here to stay.

Resources and Links

Breath with James-https://www.breathewithjames.co.uk/

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee-https://drchatterjee.com/