Sometimes what we are looking for is hidden in plain sight. How many times have you driven somewhere only to park the car and realize I have no idea how I got here, I must have been on autopilot? Most of us are so preoccupied with our thoughts we have a hard time noticing what is going on around us. The to-do lists, plans for the future or obsessing about the past keeps us from living the moment at hand. So how do we stop all of that chatter? One way is the breath. In most spiritual traditions teachers have taught that to find your center, the place that you try to live your waking life you need to have an understanding of the breath. Most people, when asked to observe their breath for the first time, are amazed by how often they find themselves holding it, and by doing so are keeping their arousal state in high alert. Then when taught how to use deep breathing to manage stress and arousal response (fight, flight, or freeze). Staying in control of your breath via deep nostril breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system can prevent the feeling of panic. This practice will lower your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and stabilize your mind in a very relaxed "aware" state. This practice when learned can be done anywhere while doing anything. A quick google search will show you how many people recently have to come to realize what the performance potential is for sport and endurance. To some degree, the Special Operations community has had a grasp of the importance of this technique for some time allowing access to flow states where your awareness is heightened and time seems to slow down allowing for better responses to challenges or overcoming obstacles. The good news is it's never too late to learn how to breathe more mindfully and be more present allowing anyone to tap into there intuition and be more present. Contact us so you can start your journey to better breath and a more examined life.
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