If you look at studies on the level of happiness, these studies show we are not a happy society. We have a little friend in our pocket that gives us all the information and entertainment we can possibly wish for. Shopping has never been easier. And in just few hours, we can be on a different continent with no problem at all. Compare to hundred years ago, we can have all we want and we can have it any time with very little effort, so why aren’t we happy?
World Health Organisation has stated, that by 2020 worldwide, stress and anxiety will be the No.1 disability. In USA 21% of women are taking antidepressants and the sleeping deprivation is now reaching epidemic level globally.
Alarming figures, however, there are things we can do about this and it is time to take an action. To create the structures in our life that will support us living more peaceful, balanced lives that will leave us feeling stronger and much more content deep inside.
Conscious breathing through regular practice of yoga and meditation is one of the incredibly effective tools helping us to deal with crazy overload of every day life.
Here are some of the benefits of simple deep breathing:
1. Speeding up the Process of Healing
Bringing the new fresh air into your lungs oxygenating our bodies on the cellular level speeds up the process of natural healing. It also helps to increase the response of our immune system helping us to fight infections.
2. Reduced Anxiety and Depression
Even as little as 5 minutes of daily practice calms down our mind enough to eliminate the feelings of anxiety. Most of the time we’re not even aware of the unwanted sense of pressure. We are being continuously stimulated by external sources whether it is a TV, visual advertisements, noise from the busy streets. It is essential for maintaining healthy mind to find the way how to create moments of silence for at least few minutes every day.
3. Stabilising Blood Pressure
According to American Heart Association, taking a long, deep breaths for few minutes influences your nerve activity that controls your “fight or flight’ response. This then subsequently causes your blood vessels to relax and widen.
4. Increased Energy Levels
Breathing with awareness not only keeps the mind and body functioning at their best, it also promotes feelings of calm and relaxation. Additionally, it helps us to de-stress, to focus better, and therefore save plenty of time. We feel more creative and experiencing more clarity in making decisions in our life. It also increases our levels of happiness. Did you notice that happy people have got plenty of energy?
5. Muscle and Relaxation of the Mind
We often don’t even feel the tension in our muscles until the pain occures and becomes unbearable enough, so we seek a quick effective fix. Usually one of the magic chemical versions that surpreses symptoms for some time and causes us side effects. The key here is preventing the tension all together, ideally via regular tai chi or yoga practice that suits your needs and daily schedule.
6. Decreased Experience of Stress and Overwhelm
There is no coincidence they advise us to “take a deep breath” in difficult situations. At times of the greatest challenges in life, our body literally freezes and witholds the breath. Overwhelm can take many forms from sweating, fast heartbeat, tingling to a chest pain, shortness of breath to severe panic attacks. It can feel like 20-foot wave squashing you into a hopeless pancake. Often we feel powerless and run by this strong emotion. Deep breathing encourages our body’s relaxation response.
Whichever form of daily relaxation resonates with you the most, for yourself, please, do make sure you schedule it in your diary. Make a commitment to your own health and well-being, create the structure that will work with your life-style.
It may be putting kids into bed half hour earlier or switching off the TV for a while. Maybe having a conversation with friend who you share your feelings with asking for help and support to be your buddy and call you every day at 7:30am.
We humans are funny creatures and we love our habits and comfort zones. The beauty is, that we also have an opportunity to change or amend them whenever we chose to do so and to let go of habits that no longer serve us. As a rule, this transition takes 21 days. Then it becomes integral part of new healthy, vital, glowing you!
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