Breathing Practice For Managing Overwhelm

This breathing practice is intended to support you in managing the feeling of overwhelm by encouraging a natural, more fluid deepening of your breath. When we deepen our breath, we begin to tap into the parasympathetic nervous system, giving us a much-needed moment to rest from the overwhelm of life.

Transcript

Hi there, I'm Danielle and I'll be guiding you through your practice today. This breathing practice is intended to support you in managing overwhelm. You can do this practice first thing in the morning, In the moment when you feel overwhelmed rise up, Or at the end of your day to release and let go of any stress or worries that have been building throughout the day. Take a moment to find a position that feels comfortable for you. You can be lying down or sitting up for this practice. Just take a few moments to feel comfortable in your body. Taking a few movements if you need and then giving yourself permission to settle in. Giving yourself permission to put aside any to-do lists and just be here in this moment. And now that you're settled in, Let's take three cleansing breaths together to let go. So inhaling through your nose, Sighing it out through your mouth. Inhaling through your nose, Releasing through your mouth. And taking one more beautiful breath in through your nose, Releasing through your mouth. And then returning to your natural resting breath, Breathing just as you are. Beginning to become a little more aware of your inhales and your exhales without judgment, Just noticing. With a little more connection to your own breath, Begin to invite your inhales and your exhales to get a little deeper. Allow your inhales to travel in through your nose, Down your throat, Through your lungs, All the way into your belly area. And as you exhale, Allow your body to return to its natural shape as you feel the air move outwards. Allow yourself to transition to taking deeper breaths slowly and naturally without forcing anything. Just allowing the breath to move through the body, Allowing your inhales and your exhales to be nourishing and centering. And as your breaths begin to get deeper, Focus on the expansion through your lungs and rib cage. Maybe even placing your hands on this area of your body, A few inches above your belly button as you breathe. Rather than forcefully expanding your belly, Allow your lungs to expand. And in this practice, We are simply redirecting our breath to move a little deeper, Naturally and fluidly. Slowly, Bring your hands back to a neutral position now and return to your natural resting breath. Notice how you feel. Notice if anything has changed. And take a final moment here to close out this practice by reflecting on one thing that you are grateful for in this moment. Allowing that gratitude to settle in your heart as you return to your day. Thank you so much for practicing with me today. Namaste.