First,
Just Breathe is a useful exercise for when we notice the activation of the sympathetic nervous system or when we just need to hit the reset button in a busy day.
The words First,
Just Breathe not only remind us to stop,
Pause,
And take a breath,
But also remind us of the three components of the exercise.
F is for fist.
Relax your hands.
We often make a fist when we are stressed.
Notice if you are tightening your grip in a traffic jam or clenching your hands shut in a stressful situation.
Simply open and relax your hands.
J is for jaw.
Relax your jaw.
We often tighten our jaw when we are stressed.
Bring your attention to your jaw and notice and release any tension there.
If your teeth are clenched,
Place the tongue on the roof of the mouth and separate the top and bottom rows of your teeth.
B is for breathe.
Take a deep breath.
Notice how the breath feels as it passes in through your nose or mouth,
Down through your chest,
And into your belly.
And on the out breath,
Going from your belly again through your chest and out through your nose or mouth.
This is first just breathe.
