Greetings and welcome to the Why Struggle Podcast.
I'm your host,
Barbara J.
Faison,
And my intention with this podcast is to offer ideas,
Insights,
And inspirations so you can live life better.
Greetings and welcome to 2025,
Week 26,
Shake It Out Practice.
This is an episode about breathing.
Well,
There is a lot going on in the world,
Isn't it?
And we know we can't control anybody else but ourselves,
Right?
What I've learned is sometimes the best response is no response.
Trust me,
I have learned this the hard way,
Talking way too much.
It feels like we're able to see so much of other people's lives because we are.
Technology allows us to see what other people are doing or at least what we think they're doing on many levels.
It can be frightening,
Whether it's watching someone do a live stream,
A short on YouTube,
Or something on TikTok.
We think we know what's happening in other people's lives.
Do we really?
I'm reminding myself more and more to step away from some of the busyness and noise of daily life,
Even if it's stepping outside for five minutes to look at a tree or a flower to take a few breaths.
Being in nature is very calming and soothing for the body and our nervous system.
Even if you can't step outside,
Look out the window or find an image of something in nature that you find beautiful or breathtaking.
Taking a few breaths and being in nature is something you can aspire to do daily.
Recently,
I've received comments or messages sharing how much you enjoy the breathing practices I share.
I really enjoy hearing from you all and thank you so much for listening and taking time to share your thoughts and feelings with me.
One thing I love about breath work is that you can do it anytime,
Anywhere,
And no one has to know.
And it's also free,
Simple,
And easy.
You know that means we have to practice,
Right?
Let's practice now.
Sometimes all we need is just a good shake to shake off whatever is going on in our bodies.
I call this my shake it out and breathe practice.
I want you to shake your entire body and take loud breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth as you shake.
Yes,
Shake it up and out.
And feel free to laugh while you do it.
Are you ready?
Let's go.
Starting from your upper body,
Shake your head,
Your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your hands.
Keep shaking.
Your upper torso.
Now your hips.
Kick your legs out.
And if you're able to take a few stomps with your feet on the ground,
Do it.
Take a moment to notice how that feels.
You might feel tingling or movement in your body.
Excellent.
How did that feel to you?
Now I invite you to place your hands stacked on top of each other right in the center of your chest.
This is your energetic heart center.
We'll take seven breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth with loud verbal exhales like this.
I'll do the counting and you do the breathing.
Are you ready?
Let's do it.
Breathe in.
Breathe in.
Breathe in.
Breathe in.
Breathe in.
Last one.
Deep breath in.
You are in the present moment.
Take a moment to notice how you feel right now.
This simple breathing technique is very powerful.
Whenever we breathe out longer than in,
We're sending a signal to our brain to calm our body down.
Let me know what you think about the shake it out and breathe practice.
Try it a few times over the next week and notice how you feel.
You can leave a comment,
Observation or reflection wherever you're listening to this podcast.
