Hello and thanks for tuning into Tranquil Spirits podcast.
My name is Jacqueline and I'm very happy to have you here with me.
How is life for you at the moment?
Mine is a mixture of different emotions.
But when I have stress and anxiety,
Then I have to intentionally bring myself into a space of calmness and joy.
Otherwise I get carried away on the negative train.
The world does seem very chaotic and more challenging every day and if we continually focus on the stress around us it can feel as if we are living on our nerves.
Finding ways to rid ourselves of stress on any level is needed now more than ever.
Although there are many different ways to help ourselves cope with negative emotions such as using crystals,
Aromatherapy,
Music,
Conversation and many more,
Intentional breathing is an extremely useful tool to have and we always have our breath with us wherever we are so we can turn to it immediately.
We are constantly breathing every second of the day.
It's a natural thing we do to live but we tend to take it for granted and don't really pay much attention to it unless we do an activity where our breathing becomes heavy and we feel out of breath or when we feel claustrophobic in a confined area or situation.
In certain situations like these we tend to take more notice of our breathing and sometimes can panic if we are unsure of how to deal with this extra heavier breathing and what it's doing to our bodies.
Breathing is a voluntary and involuntary action and we can take control of it as and when we wish.
We know about using intentional breathing in meditation and yoga but I want to share with you some other situations that you may find it useful to use.
The first one is when we need energising.
When we feel sluggish or lack in energy,
Especially if it's only halfway through the day,
Or when we don't feel like doing important tasks or when we just can't find the motivation to get out of bed and start our day.
Some strong,
Deep,
Intentional breaths really does help to energise us.
It puts life back into our brain and body and focus into doing something positive.
Number two is when we can't sleep.
Instead of tossing and turning,
Try focusing on your breath.
By getting into a rhythm of deep in-breaths and out-breaths we almost become hypnotised.
The focus on something repetitive and calming can easily send us off into the land of Nod.
And intentional breathing is a great tool to use here.
Number three is when we feel stressed.
When we are going to do something which is out of our comfort zone,
We can feel more nervous than usual.
Have you been about to do something and felt sure you can hear your heart beating?
Some people feel like this when they are about to get on a plane.
I know I get a little overwhelmed when I record these podcasts.
Well in these situations a few deep breaths always help.
I take deep breaths every time before I hit the record button.
Just three deep,
Quick breaths in and out create an inner calmness allowing focus and action.
Number four is when we are angry with someone.
We've probably all been there,
Where we have become so angry about something someone has said or done that we allow the anger to consume us and it can feel like we are hyperventilating and we can hardly breathe.
In a situation like this,
By focusing on our breath and doing some intentional breathing before we speak or react,
It not only calms us down,
It stops us from saying anything in haste,
Something which we maybe didn't mean and would regret later.
Number five is when we are hyperactive.
What I mean by this are situations where we are always on the go and never seem to stop.
Or we try to please everyone and are busy,
Busy,
Busy.
Or we're excited for something to happen only to be let down.
Or we feel that we should always appear happy no matter what is going on around us.
These situations and similar ones can cause us to shallow breathe or even at times forget to breathe and then we panic.
By focusing on our breath,
We can calm down from the state of over excitement and bring our focus back to the moment to be able to carry on in a more normal way.
This is especially useful for children when they get overexcited about things and you know the situation could probably end in tears.
Just by holding them and asking them just to breathe with you,
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
It brings their focus away from that hyper energy and it allows a place of calm to take its place.
So these are my five times intentional breathing really can help us.
One when we need energising,
Two when we can't sleep,
Three when we feel stressed,
Four when we are angry and five when we are hyperactive.
Throughout my life I have learnt that breathing is the centre of my being.
I have learnt that when I am in control of my breathing,
I am also in control of my emotions.
I have learnt that fighting a negative feeling such as trying to get to sleep achieves nothing else.
Therefore using the breathing technique as soon as possible will create a better solution.
I have learnt that being angry leads to negative communication.
I have learnt that helping children understand the value of breathing intentionally creates a good habit they can take into adulthood.
Thank you so much for listening.
I hope you have found this useful in some way.
Please feel free to message me,
I truly enjoy hearing your thoughts and I thank you for taking time to do that.
You can contact me through my website www.
Tranquil-spirits.
Com and also please visit my Tranquil Spirits Instagram and Facebook pages.
Have a beautiful day,
You deserve it and remember,
Always follow that dream.
Thanks again for listening and I'll speak to you again soon on my next podcast.
