Tag: stress

The Art of Conscious Breathing: Nurturing Mind, Body, and Soul

by stephsimply, posted in Yoga

“The breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness.”–Thich Nhat Hanh 

Students at the end of a yoga class with a seven minute meditation at the beginning of class (There were several absent on this particular day.)

Settle your mind 🧘

Settle your body onto your mat.  See if you can begin to settle your mind.

Soften your eyes.  All the muscles around each eye relax.  

Release the lines of your forehead; soften your ears, and allow the jaw line to release.

Let the shoulders melt away from your ears as your heart space softens.

Relax the muscles of your hips and legs while you rest in the knowledge that the earth can support you.

Feel the feet relax, allowing the arch and each toe to release.

Take a deep breath in.  Pause.  Sigh it out through your mouth. 

Whatever thoughts, worries, concerns that you had before entering this room, allow them to drift away on the stream of conscious breathing.

Another slow, deliberate inhale. Wait.  Now, exhale long, smooth, and controlled once more through your mouth.

Pause once you’ve fully exhaled and gently close your mouth, unless, of course, you are congested and cannot breathe through your nose. 

Inhale. Pause for a moment. Long, slow exhale through your nose.  

Follow the exhale until your lungs are fully emptied, and wait for a moment before you inhale again. 

Once more, be present with the inhale.  Intentionally allow for a pause.  Then, slowly, with full concentration, exhale–following the exhale until its full conclusion. 

Pause, and continue this conscious breathing for the next few minutes.  

If thoughts enter your head, recognize that you are thinking.  This is only natural.  Then, return your attention back to your breath.

Several of the students after yoga class that began with a seven minute meditation, a hour of yoga moves, and ended with ten minutes of relaxation pose, savasana.

Conscious breathing 😮‍💨

As I write these words, I find that my own breathing has slowed. My own heartbeat is slowing. My thoughts, worries, and concerns about how I will convey in writing what I want to share have begun to loosen their grip on my brain as I allow the words to flow in unison with my breath. 

This year in my school setting, I have the privilege of teaching a yoga/mindfulness class to high school students. It is a dream I have had for years finally coming to fruition. 17 students, 11 of which are males, which I find remarkable, signed up for the class.  Most, but not all, of the students are athletes, overloaded with the act of balancing coursework with their sports’ schedules and the desire to still have a typical teen social life.

However, when they walk through the gym doors, roll out their yoga mats, their job is to take a break from their very real, youthful concerns. It’s not easy. Like all of us, strands of stress and worries cling to their minds and bodies the way cooked noodles often cling to one another if the noodles have not been properly stirred during the cooking process.  My job is to stir the proverbial pot of their mind and guide their bodies through yoga movements that encourage the release, at least for a few moments of their day, from the stickiness of their constant concerns.

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The Power of the Pause 🙏

The pause between breath reminds them, and really, all of us, of the importance of taking intentional pauses throughout our day to pay attention to the here and now.  Mentally pausing to let go of thoughts of the past, thoughts of future plans, and thoughts of all those unanswerable “what ifs” can be a valuable respite.  Taking a few moments to close the eyes, tune out the world, and focus on your in and out breath can release tension and provide a short rest for the mind, eyes, and body. 

Even on our busiest days, taking a short pause, enough for a few deep breaths, can renew and refresh your focus, especially if you are feeling anxious and/or stressed. By taking deep breaths, especially those in which you can extend the exhale, sends signals to the body to relax.

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TEnd and befriend 🧘🏿‍♂️

Based upon my limited understanding, longer exhales encourage the vagus nerve to send a signal to engage the parasympathetic system (think: rest and digest or tend and befriend system) and relax the sympathetic system (think: fight, flight, fawn, or freeze system). Those deep breaths, especially with the longer exhalations, let the body know that it is in a state of calm, so that it can “tend and befriend” the work challenge you must complete rather than “fight” it or all together mentally “freeze.”

In addition to soothing the mind and body, by consciously paying attention to our breathing, we can connect to the wonder of being alive, and the miracle that is our body.  Our bodies, with its amazing autonomic nervous system, automatically takes care of so many functions and unconscious processes without us having to think about it. We truly are marvelous creations.  Conscious breathing can be that bridge between our physical bodies and our conscious minds, as Thich Nhat Hanh pointed out. And, it is a tool for bringing our attention to the present moment.  After all, you can’t focus on your breathing and not be aware of the here and now.   

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Conscious Breathing is the Link

In the end, taking time to intentionally connect with our breath offers numerous benefits. Deep breaths with long exhales can allay our fears, concerns, and worries.  It can bring a sense of calm in a short amount of time to an otherwise chaotic day.  Conscious breathing can invigorate and recharge the mind for an important and stressful project.  Furthermore, deep breathing can link our minds to our bodies while also bringing our attention to the present moment.  So pause, take a deep breath, or three, release the grip on your worries and burdens, and reconnect with here and now, and the font of peace that dwells within.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Berry Immunity Boosting Smoothie aka Stress Less Smoothie

Featured by stephsimply, posted in Recipes

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.”–William James

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The challenge of work-life balance⚖️

It is not uncommon to engage in conversations centering around stress.  Attempting to balance the demands of work and life can be challenging. The combination of long work hours, while also juggling the needs of family, make it difficult to have time to do the things that would otherwise relieve stress, such as regular exercise, outings with friends, or even a relaxing soak in the tub. 

When stress ramps up, there is a chain-reaction in our bodies.  According to Harvard School of Public Health, when stress is high, the body’s demand for oxygen and energy increases, which in turn increases the demand for key nutrients.  Simultaneously, stress causes the body to eliminate other vital nutrients. This can take a toll on the body’s immune system.

As the chain reaction of stress continues, hormones become affected.  If the stress is acute, the body will secrete adrenaline, which suppresses appetite.  However, when the stress becomes more chronic, cortisol levels begin to rise, instigating food cravings.  Cortisol tends to create cravings for foods that are typically considered “comfort foods,” full of sugar, salt, and fat.  Unfortunately, if cortisol stays elevated, the chain reaction continues to wreak havoc upon our bodies, and this often influences our coping strategies.

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The body’s stress response 😰

Chronic high stress time periods, depletes the body of energy and can often reduce time available for decompression. This can inhibit the desire to prepare healthy, nutritious meals.  Sometimes, chronic stress causes us to skip meals.  The downside to skipping meals is that, as the cortisol levels rise, once there is an opportunity to eat, we tend to reach for those comfort foods that will not replenish the body’s stores of diminished nutrients.

Therefore, how we respond to stress matters.  With some situations, we can identify upcoming stressful time periods before they begin, and thus, we can be more proactive.  However, that isn’t always the case.  Nonetheless, there are a few basic guidelines, according to The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that are worth remembering.

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Tips for eating during times of stress 😣

  • Keep nutrient-dense grab-and-go snacks on hand at all times.  Foods like baby carrots, celery sticks, hummus cups, guacamole cups, apples, oranges, bananas, popcorn, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, low-sugar yogurt, low-sugar granola, low-sugar oatmeal packets, whole-grain crackers and so forth.
  • Eat at regular intervals when possible.  This will keep blood sugar stable, and keep the brain, which needs glucose, working at its best.
  • Eat high-fiber foods. Foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, oatmeal, and other whole grains, have been shown to decrease perceived stress levels and increase alertness.
  • Focus on eating fruits and vegetables, especially leafy greens, whenever possible.  These foods are filled with the vitamins and minerals your body needs to neutralize the harmful molecules our bodies produce when under stress. 
  • Foods rich in unsaturated fat also help. Think walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, and fish oil to name a few. These foods are associated with increased brain function; however, deficiencies in fatty acids can result in depression and/or anxiety. 
  • Be mindful of caffeine and/or alcohol intake. Both of these can disrupt sleep, which the body desperately needs during times of stress.  Additionally, both can increase blood pressure, which can increase feelings of anxiety.
  • Ensure your body is getting enough quality sleep. Getting enough sleep allows the body to reduce cortisol levels and other stress hormones, increasing the chances of remaining calmer in the face of stress.
  • Employ constructive coping strategies. Whether it is talking to a trusted friend or therapist, journaling, meditating, asking for help, or going for a walk–developing positive coping skills is a lifetime skill set. 
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The reality of stress 😩

Stress is reality at different points in our lives.  While we cannot control when it will arise, we can control our response to it.  It is easy and understandable to seek comfort during times of stress.  However, when those sources of comfort become unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as over- or undereating, drinking alcohol in excess, going without sleep, and so forth, we risk using short-sighted solutions that could lead to developing long-term problems, creating even more stress.  

Stress less smoothie 🍓

Below is my newest smoothie creation.  It is full of nutrient-rich foods that are high in fiber.  Some of the ingredients may cause you to raise an eye-brow in wonder, but I promise, it does taste great.  That said, feel free to adjust, add to, or eliminate ingredients that don’t suit your palate or dietary needs.

This recipe can be made ahead of time and frozen into individual servings.  They will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months.  Then, whenever faced with a stressful day, take one smoothie out the night before, set it in the fridge to thaw, and then it’s grab-and-go convenience for the next workday. Sip on it through a lunch meeting, or if more time is available, pour it into a bowl and sprinkle on favorite fruit and nut/seed toppings, along with a bit of granola. 

I can’t promise that this recipe will change the stress around you. However, it does provide a powerful nutritional punch to help stave off the effects of stress, and offers one less thing to worry about.  Plus, it feels good knowing that if everything else goes wrong in the day, at least one small part of your day was stress-free.  

Cheers to one less thing to stress about!

Berry Stress Less Smoothie

Nutrient dense, stress combating meal replacement

Ingredients:

2 cup spinach, riced cauliflower, or kale (can be frozen)

½ cup strawberries, frozen

½ cup raspberries, frozen

½ cup cherries, frozen

1 apple

½ cup lentils

1 parsnips

2 tablespoon flax, chia seeds, or hemp seeds (or combination of any two)

2 tablespoons goji berries, OR 2 medjool dates, OR 2 prunes, optional

2 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder, optional

2 scoops protein powder, optional

1 cup beet juice (can use pomegranate or cherry juice or simply use water)

1 cup milk  plant or dairy based variation)

½-1 cup of water, if too thick

Directions:

Put all ingredients in high powered blender

Blend until creamy and smooth

Makes 2 large servings