Hello.
Thank you for joining me today to try out this breathing exercise that I call circle breathing.
Circle breathing can be a helpful strategy to get the most out of a deep breath because we'll be using our diaphragm,
Which can have an impact on the calming,
Relaxing of the rest of our bodies.
You can use this breathing strategy when you're wanting to interrupt some racing thoughts,
If you want to lessen the intensity of emotion,
Or even just take a pause.
First,
I will explain circle breathing and then we'll give it a shot together.
So we'll start by finding a comfortable place to sit,
Sitting upright on the floor,
On your bed,
In a chair,
Doesn't matter.
And we're going to put our right hand on our right rib cage,
Left hand on our left rib cage.
Doesn't need to be exact,
But a good guideline is right around your bra line,
You'll be able to feel where your ribs rise and fall.
And we're going to imagine that there is a red string wrapped all the way around your torso,
Creating a circle.
And when we take a big breath together,
Our goal is going to be to make that circle bigger in all directions,
Expanding from both sides of your body and also expanding the front and back of your body.
And before we give it a shot,
Let's check in with how we're feeling.
Close your eyes.
And just notice the level of tightness and tension in your body.
On a scale of one to ten,
Ten being the most tight,
What would you rate your level of overall body tightness?
Good.
Now we'll remember that number for when we check in after the exercise.
Now let's try it out.
Your right hand on your right ribs,
Left hand on your left ribs.
We'll take a deep breath in through the nose,
Filling up your lungs with air and expanding those ribs,
Stretching as you breathe in.
Exhaling slowly through the mouth.
Now let's try three more of those breaths together.
Breathing in,
Expanding the circle.
Out through your mouth,
Letting all the air out.
Again.
One more time stretching those ribs.
All the way out.
You can release your hands from the sides of your body.
And we'll check in one last time on the level of tension.
Close your eyes and notice the level of tightness and tension now that you feel in your body.
Just seeing if you've noticed any shift in lightness or heaviness,
Tension or release.
And on a scale of one to ten,
Ten being the most tight.
Now what would you rate your level of overall body tightness?
Great.
And once you get the feel for this type of breath,
You can really do it without having your hands on your body,
Making it easy to do.
Whether you're with people.
Or whether you're alone,
Whether with your kids.
It's something that you can use in many circumstances.
Thanks for giving us a try with me today.
Take care.
