Not mines just sharing

Breathe
Posted April 14th 2022 by Support Groups
For something we need to survive, we hear the word “BREATHE” a lot. Any and all medical procedures will come with the instructions to either breathe or to breathe and hold in your breath. Especially when the doctor, nurse or medical personnel are hurting you and you are thinking that you could pull off a swift kick and blame it on the pain, they remind you to breathe because it will “relax you.” Not in this lifetime and not unless they knock you out and if they tell you to “just breathe” again you are definitely going to scream! Just to be clear, we are in awe of medical professionals and know this pandemic has been hell for them, but for the sake of this blog, can we all agree that a lot of procedures hurt like bloody hell and feel like torture?

Life isn't as serious as the mind makes it out to be. -Eckhart Tolle

In yoga you learn different methods of breathing, in Pilates you are instructed when to breathe in and when to breathe out and in just about any workout you are reminded not to hold your breath and to breathe, but in everyday situations there is no one following us around telling us how to breathe! So for the next day or so, observe your breath. Does it become fast and shallow when you are scared or anxious? What happens to it when you are relaxed? What is it like when you are stressed and running around? When you are lying in bed, does it settle?

Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths. -Etty Hillesum

So, as annoying as it can be to hear the words, “Just Breathe,” we are going to be “that person” and remind you that when you are feeling:
•Overwhelmed
•Scared
•Stressed
•Anxious
•Hurt, both physically and mentally
•Like the world is going to end…

These are the moments where internally we have to remind ourselves to breathe, slowly in and slowly out. Ideally you would be able to stop what you are doing and find a spot to sit quietly, put your hands over your chest or your heart and breathe in for as many counts as possible and then exhale the breath slowly.

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it. -Sydney Harris

We talked last week about how it is okay to not always be happy, how to even aim for that isn’t healthy or attainable, but finding ways to keep yourself on a stable path is both healthy and attainable. Learning to breathe through those difficult moments will help, it may all seem a bit new age and woo woo, but when it comes down to it, does it hurt to try it? The answer is no, it doesn’t hurt to try it. Learning to channel your breath and in turn, your calm, is something you can learn to control and it doesn’t hurt that it is available to you literally anytime you have need of it.

Calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that's very important for good health. -Dalai Lama

Our bodies are amazing, no matter what we are dealing with physically and mentally, the equation never equals that we are broken or even slightly damaged. We are human, so that means some days we are in pain, some days we are sad, depressed, angry, etc.. Some days we are joyful and happy and some days we feel so much it is like we are on an emotional escalator. Just remember to do your best, feel what you are feeling, process your emotions and remember to take your meds, schedule your appropriate therapy and medical appointments and set aside time to breathe. Inhale and exhale, you set the tone, the pace and to a certain extent, control the outcome.

Remember:
You are worthy
You are amazing
You deserve good things

Wishing you nothing but peace and tranquility,
Team SG