Hi y'all,

Thanks to all of you that read the Wellness Post yesterday. Today, I am focusing on breath. Most likely, this is not new information, but sometimes reminding myself of the benefits help motivate me to practice deep breathing exercises. Recently, my husband and I were asked what our top three goals were for improving ourselves. I like this question. What's going to make me a better partner in our marriage? One of my answers was to reduce stress and lower my anxiety. I can then be a more present partner and mother. Deep breathing is one way to get there. DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor or a life coach or anything like that....I'm just another girl with a blog sharing what is working for me.

3 REASONS TO STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND PRACTICE DEEP BREATHING:

LOWERS ANXIETY

"When you undergo physical pain or stressful situations, your body instinctively reacts in accordance with its fight-or-flight mechanism and your adrenal glands release the stress hormone, cortisol, which leads to increased heartbeat, muscles constriction, eye dilation, an increase in breath rate and a decrease in breath duration.

Medical professionals are unanimous in the assertion that elevated cortisol levels pose a serious threat to our health. Breathing exercises can help to reverse or mitigate the body’s natural reaction to stressful situations, markedly decreasing the rate at which cortisol is released into your system." - UnbeatableMind.com

RELEASES TOXINS AND STRENGTHENS YOUR CORE

"Good breathing habits help the lymphatic system function properly, which encourages the release of harmful toxins. This cleanses the body and allows it to direct its energy to more productive functions." LivingthenourishedLife.com I know when I practice the correct way of deep breathing, it's a great core strengthener, too. Releasing toxins and bringing in oxygen is one of the best steps to an overall healthier life.

FOCUSING THE MIND

"Increased oxygen flow to the brain allows it to function at its optimal levels, which in turn aids decision making and ability to focus on tasks. Studies have shown that breathing exercises have beneficial impacts on the brain’s state of awareness – increasing retention and concentration." UnbeatableMind. Ahhh... is this why I feel more motivated mentally after an hour of yoga?

There are many more benefits, these are just the ones that are helping me right now. I'd also like to include this link from the New York Times with simple images reminding us great ways to take a moment and take a breath.

I really appreciate hearing from you guys. Please know, I do read the DMs on social as often as I can and I take note of what you all are saying. Sometimes it's positive ideas for me to hear and sometimes it's sharing info about your lives.

Lately, I've heard from a few of you about health issues. I would love to be able to send you a link on amazon to fix those issues! OR magically take them away. I cannot. What can I do? I can pray. I can encourage and I can listen to you (read your comments). I can remind you to breathe.

Happy Tuesday, folks! Take time to take a long, deep breath. See you tomorrow.

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalms 46

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