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So What's the Big Deal about Meditation and Breathing?

Raquel Lines
May 29, 2020
2 min read

Do you feel like your'e too "BUSY" to meditate? Do you catch yourself holding your breath?

Do you have a hard time sitting down or taking a few quiet moments for yourself? Do you find yourself sighing often or getting overwhelmed?

Did you know that even 5-10 minutes of meditation with quality breath work can actually change the way your nervous system reacts to different stimuli and processes information?

When we bring awareness to our breath, we can actually consciously affect one of our automatic nervous system functions. BREATHING. Once we are able to slow down our breath, we can start to focus on our thoughts, feelings, perceptions a little more clearly.

Meditation and Breath-work are intimately linked with a direct affect on our nervous system.

The first step is to simply bring your awareness to your breath.

Think about filling your lungs up all the way down to the bottom and releasing ALL of the air out.

Perform 10 slow deep intentional & mindful diaphragmatic breaths with the goal of 360 degree expansion of the abdomen, lower ribcage and mid chest (not just "belly breathing").

Focusing on full exhalation will stimulate your "rest & digest" parasympathetic nervous system and allow for greater recoil when filling back up which results in more oxygen uptake and redistribution to all of your cells.

Follow the Calm Breath handout below to start your Mini-meditation session now. Feel how this technique automatically slows down your respiration rate and calms the nervous system so you can think more clearly.

Research shows that even "Mini-Meditations" can improve your health!

Enjoy the handout below on all the possible benefits that mindful meditation may bring into your life. Of course the more we practice meditation, the better we get at it. Start small and build your time up as you are able. The important thing is to start breathing and meditating a little bit more each day:)