In vulnerable times often we quit breathing. Some people aren’t even aware when they do. The practice of focused attention on our breath works wonders, but is there a way to be more effective than that? Yes, there is and it’s simple.
Focus on your exhale. There is an easy technique.
Try it:
Sit comfortably. Eyes can be closed or open. On your inhale, expand your belly, then your diaphragm, then your upper chest. On your exhale, let the breath go first from the upper chest, then the ribcage, then your belly. Count to four inhaling and four exhaling to begin. When you feel comfortable, extend your exhale to five counts. If/when you feel like it, maybe even the next time you try it, you can extend your exhale even more. I like to watch and witness what it does to the sensations of my inhale. I get curious about the whole experience.
Being curious is a healthy tool to co-creating your day if you are seeking ways to boost your immunity. Yoga and meditation are my daily rituals to be healthy. Diet is also critical.
Immune System Superfoods include apples, avocados, blueberries, cherries, cinnamon, cumin, grapefruit, lemons, olives, pears, raspberries, shiitake mushrooms, and watermelon.
And...
· Taking probiotics daily allows your immune system to spend its energy on fighting viruses and infection instead of fighting off what our intestinal bacteria cannot.
· Get plenty of oxygen, which helps support your immune system. In addition to the above exercise, try laying in an inverted position with your head down and feet up for 10 minutes every day. Deep breathing exercises will help.
· Take your vitamins! Vitamin C truly does help fight off viruses, along with other vitamins such as selenium, magnesium and zinc. Stay within the average daily requirement amounts for supplements and choose vitamin-rich foods.
It’s critical to your wellbeing that you find ways, and perhaps new tools, to cultivate a sense of calm and remain peaceful in spite of what is going on in the world around you. The inspiration for my book, Yoga Wisdom: Warrior Tales Inspiring You On And Off Your Mat (available on Amazon) came when I made a life-changing decision to radically reclaim and recalibrate a life that I could thrive in.
Yoga Wisdom is about yoga, but it’s also about the pursuit of freedom. Freedom from abuse, PTSD, trauma and self-doubt. It’s the story of my attempt to find and USE my own voice in the face of some pretty formidable obstacles.
From the outside, I seemed to be living a charmed life. I was the CEO of Spence Communications, where I published numerous magazines, and during my stint as a journalist I got to interview big names. I had it goin’ on. Money. Connections. Influence. And a seemingly great family life. But despite the shiny exterior, my inner life was crumbling under the pressure of a terribly unstable and abusive home life.
My story is being shared because I am VERY curious about the process of discovering and cultivating “voice.” My voice “seemed” so strong and self-possessed in her career and external world, but at home and in my inner life I was mostly terrified. Mostly mute. Mostly lost. No calm. No peace.
My story is wild … I go from private jet setting vacations into serious rehab, and then into to a One-Flew-Over-the-Coocoo’s-Nest-style “treatment center,” and finally, the reader gets to ride shotgun with me on my cross country RV trip, as I interviewed some of yoga’s living legends.
What’s important for you about my book is that my struggle is a universal struggle: We are all on a path to liberation, to freedom. We are all trying to escape the things that trap us in small lives of quiet desperation. We are all trying to escape the trap of “what will people think if I do the thing I know I need to do?”
When we are really honest with ourselves we must be clear that our lives are all that really belong to us. Accountability is empowering. Let me show you how. Grab a copy of my book. I’m proud to share it’s a Nautilus Book Awards Winner. I hope it serves you.
Be Well. Namaste.
Stephanie