Two Quick Practices For Tough TIMES. . .

Sometimes life gets hard.  In these situations, we need to be grounded, centered, and calm to deal with whatever arises. Unfortunately, when faced with difficult circumstances, life does not stop, and we often have little time to work on coping with the added stress. Here I offer two simple, very effective, practices for tough times that take less than five minutes each. Please drop me a note, and let me know how they worked for you.   ​

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Practice One: Stop, Check-In, Breathe

1. As soon as you notice that you are feeling overwhelmed or ungrounded, stop whatever you are doing. 
2. Please become aware of your body as a whole. Notice how you feel, just accepting, without judgment, whatever comes up.
3. Please find your breath. As you breathe in, let your belly fill with air, and as you breathe out, allow your belly to flatten. Let your exhales be longer than your inhales, and with every exhale feel yourself become more and more relaxed.  Do this for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Again, please notice how you feel. Notice your sense of physical balance, your sense of psychological balance, and the amount of quietness in your mind.
5. If you do not feel substantially better, please repeat these four steps again. You may repeat this practice as often as you like.

Practice Two: The Three Part Breath 

1. As soon as you notice that you are feeling overwhelmed or ungrounded, stop whatever you are doing. 
2. Please become aware of your body as a whole. Notice how you feel, just accepting, without judgment, whatever comes up.
3. Please find your breath, and do the following:  Inhale for a count of five, hold your breath for a count of five, and exhale for a count of five. Do three rounds of this breathing exercise.   
4. Please return to your regular breath, and notice how you feel. Notice your sense of physical balance, your sense of psychological balance, and the amount of quietness in your mind.
5. If you do not feel substantially better, please repeat these four steps again. Do not repeat this practice more than five times in a twenty-four hour period.