Choosing to Breathe
Breathing is the essence of life!

It’s also the essence of yoga. 
Breathe is our life force.
As long as we are breathing, we are alive.

We go through life with very shallow breath and we don’t even acknowledge it.

When we are depressed, stressed or anxious our breath is uneven and choppy.
When we are tense, we hold our breath. 
If we feel scared, we might gasp for breath. 

On the other hand, when we feel calm and relaxed the breath will become slow and even. 
I understand the struggle when it comes to this.
Addiction and anxiety always made my breath erratic. 

We all live very busy lives and get stuck in the daily grind or the hustle and bustle of life.
It’s challenging and exhausting at the same time to find any balance. 

As you learn to breathe slowly and deeply you will calm the mind, as well as the emotions that might be triggering you that day. 
Then with a calm and clear mind you have the tools to face any situation head on. 

If you're like most people you probably don’t pay attention to the breath.
That’s ok! It’s completely normal.

With that being said – We have these simple tools right at our fingertips that can shift the way we breathe and feel. 
With practice you can learn to breathe fully and deeply, so you get the benefits from each breath you take. 

For those of us who are recovering from addiction or any type of self destructive behavior, the decision to live life more present and to breathe fully is a decision to live our life in a healthy state versus living in a toxic state of illness. 

I want to share with you one simple breathing technique. 
Read below and enjoy this exercise in your free time, before bed, or even first thing when you wake up.

In yoga we call it Pranayama.


Let’s Begin:

I would like for you to lay down on your back.
As you lay down start to quiet the mind and soften the breath.
Let go of any thoughts and let the body relax.

Start to pay attention to the breath as you start to cultivate a balanced breath.
Lengthening the inhales and exhales.
This might be a 4 to 8 count inhale.
And a 4 to 8 count exhale.
Breathing in and breathing out.

Stay here 5 to 10 minutes and just breathe.
Feel the sensations that arise in your mind and body.
The calmness and ease.

Take your time. As much time as you want or need.
Relax and enjoy!
Breathe well my friends.
Your biggest supporter.

Live Free in Recovery

XO,

Sheri Matthews

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