So many times I have noticed, taking a deep breath enables a moment to reflect and gather yourself. Everything falls into place easier, your intention and what you want to accomplish are clearer. Our thoughts come from a place of being more centred and calm. We also don’t feel as overwhelmed, with better concentration.

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Mindfulness is, in its essence, being completely connected to the moment, to what is going on. By being fully consumed in our task or activity, we immerse ourselves. Musicians and artists do this quite naturally. Tuning out the noise to focus on producing and creating.

 

Having small moments of being mindful will help you, reduce the external factors and help you to focus. They can also help to create buffers for decompression, when interspersed throughout the day, during challenging times.

 

Breathing is something we do naturally but are often taken for granted. By being aware of our breathing and bringing all our senses into awareness of our breath. Feeling the chest and abdomen expanding and contracting, touching the chest and stomach. Feeling the movement, seeing the rise and fall, following the breath from our in-breath on its journey all the way in, through to the out-breath. Doing this can bring a sense of stillness. We might notice the temperature of the breath, maybe even taste the air.

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By seeing how our body is and what it needs we can deepen into the moment, allowing our breath to expand, slow and deepen. Doing so within our capabilities, slowly and safely. Until we are taking deeper more effective breaths. Even 3-8 breaths can bring you into a place of calm and help focus. Start slowly with just three breaths and see how your body reacts. Returning at any time you feel you need, to return to normal breathing, and just focus on the movement through your body. Especially if lightheaded or dizzy, just focus on what the breath is doing naturally, without deepening. As we are not used to taking such effective breaths, it may take a little time to become used to. Maybe just take one nice slow deep breath every couple of hours and build up as your body feels.

 

You can do this any time, remember as a child when you were upset or angry, maybe a loved one reminded you to take a breath. Perhaps you can hear “just breath,” said at that time. Or maybe you have even said those words to your own child.

 

Combining both Conscious Breathing, our awareness and Mindfulness, we have access to a tool we can use anywhere.

 

If you have anxiety and sometimes suffer from panic attacks, you might want to try this. By following the breath and shutting down the external noise right at the start you will be increasingly aware of what your body needs, combine this with a pair of sunglasses a pair of headphones and a bench, it can mean more freedom and less fear, of going out in public.

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Top Tips

Take 3 effective breaths before getting up out of bed. Centre yourself and bring into your mind your intention or target for the day.

 

Check-in with yourself at random times noticing without intervention, what you are doing with your breath.

 

Notice when you hold or change your breath patterns naturally throughout the day, what is happening? What emotions are arising? Maybe you might want to journal about any revelations you observe.

 

Take a walk in the woods, in nature, or by the sea. We naturally relax and science is exploring the therapeutic effect of mindfully being in nature and its effect on anxiety and depression. Put away your phone, open and go through your senses and breath.

 

Yoga can be combined with breathing, for deepening into poses and focus. Talk to your yoga teacher.

 

Attend a breathwork class to safely explore different ways of breathing and releasing.

 

Take a deep breath every hour or so, then you become more attuned to having effective breaths, slowly in your own time work with your own constraints.

 

Take a breath before starting a project to gather and centre yourself.