Simple 15 Minute Movement Routine for Relaxed Breathing
Feeling out of breath? Does your breathing feel irregular, erratic or perhaps tight?
Maybe you’re experiencing a sense of dullness, brainfog or general lack of energy?
If so, try the simple movements below to provide relaxation and release tension of breathing anatomy body areas. Easing muscular tension in the head, face, shoulders, arms, upper back, ribs and side body with movement raises your awareness of the sensations in these body areas and allows you to listen to your body and breath.
“Ease Effort” Everywhere
At the start of this new year, I’ve been thinking about Patanjali’s yoga sutra 2.46: “sthira-sukham asanam.” This is the yoga sutra which gives us the concept of “ease and effort.” The sutra has also been translated as “strength and ease”, “steadiness and ease” and “stable and comfortable,” to name a few variations. While this sutra is simple and succinct in language, it delivers a powerful piece of wisdom to explore in yoga practice. It also raises interesting questions.
Present Presence
Have you ever found yourself in a posture, let’s say Head-to-Knee and caught yourself pondering what’s for dinner? I have. In fact, I’ve weekly meal planned during a yoga practice.
The daily To-Do lists, daydreams, vacation planning, bucket list creations, fantasizing about the future, remembering the past; it is all likely to bubble to the surface at one point or another during yoga practice.
Take Heart
Right now we are all familiar with some version of the common refrains making the rounds in public and private spheres.
“This has been a tough year.”
“I’m so ready for this year to be over.”
“Everyone is totally exhausted.”
There is no denying the unprecedented amount of loss, hardship and heartache that’s occurred this year due to the COVID pandemic and social upheavals. There is real pain. It is seen. It is felt.
It is what we do with that pain and how we care for our pain that determines whether or not it has staying power.
Pause. Rest. Do Nothing.
With Thanksgiving approaching and a dwindling number of days remaining in 2020, I am guessing that there are many out there who are looking forward to a comforting dose of relaxation.
Here are 5 Practices to Slow Down & Reset
Keep in touch.
