Breathe
So simple, we forget to do it
You know how things pile up around you?
I know you know.
So often we’re in battle mode protecting ourselves, anticipating the future and what can go wrong. Processing things. We’ve become hypervigilant to keep life at bay. To keep ourselves from experiencing negative things. And responding to what’s happening around us.
Something I’ve been working on is having the sort of resilience that no matter who or what comes, I’m not far from my square. That even if I’m jostled, I can’t be knocked off that square. For me, this means staying near to myself.
This looks like checking in and being present. This looks like making a home inside myself and keeping it tidy. Having good mental hygiene.
Fortunately, there are simple and free tools that help with that.
Breathing is one of them.
Most of us spend waaaayyyy too much time in our heads. A practice of deep breathing helps us to reconnect with our bodies, with our being.
Healthy habits take some intention to incorporate regularly.
I think we can be hard on ourselves and abandon the things that are good for us because it would require a change, and even when that change is good, it’s tough.
So what if first thing in the morning, before you reach for your phone, you lovingly remind yourself to take a few deep breaths and spend a minute or two with yourself before anyone else gets your time and attention?
What if you practiced deep breathing while you bathe and are caring for your physical body?
What if you take a minute or two with a cup of something yummy and breathe while you absorb the moment?
What if you reach for it when you feel yourself getting antsy because yet another thing is out of your control?
And if you miss an opportunity to connect, what if you weren’t so hard on yourself about it and just take the next opportunity to breathe deeply?
Four breathing techniques:
Inhale deep into your belly and exhale completely. See how much space you can find in your body for air as you inhale. See how much tension you can let go of as you exhale.
Inhale deeply for a count of 5 and exhale completely for a count of 5.
Inhale deeply for a count of 5, hold for a count of 5, and exhale completely for a count of 5, and hold for a count of 5.
Inhale deeply for a count of 5, hold it for a count of 8, and exhale completely for a count of 10.
Did you try any of these techniques? Let me know how you felt afterward!
If you’re a person who likes data, here’s about the benefits of conscious breathing by Harvard, the Psychological Society, and Scientific American.
Imagine a group of Black women infused with care and resources where we're mutually invested in each other's successes; where you're encouraged to take up space and blossom.
It's more than accountability.
It's a built-in set of sisters who care about your progress.
It's taking actions specific to you to move you forward.
We're rolling through our challenges instead of allowing them to hold us back for another day, another year.
We're embracing change.
There's a place reserved just for you, girl.
💜 You're not used to putting yourself first and you're discovering what that actually looks like more and more.
💜 You've tasted freedom through travel and want to explore feeling freer more often.
💜 Your Soul Work has been taking a back seat for more years than you can count, and despite being neglected, your talents are still there, waiting for you to make space for them.
💜 Someone along the way didn't pick up on just how bright your light is, or even actively snubbed it, so you internalized that and haven't brought it out of the shadows.
💜 You're done playing the corporate game, showing up with your best and being stressed out the most.
Now is the time. Today is the day. To stop doubting, to stop hiding, to stop giving your power away, and settling for less.
Women who look just like you are creating entire worlds from their imaginations. Step by step. And you can too. There's more than enough space for you.
Catch what Mastermind graduate Stacyann had to share:
Ready to experience what Stacyann experienced?
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What did this bring up for you? If you have some thoughts, please feel free to share them!