With everything crazy going on I began to realize I was hitting my breaking point. The daily waves of negative energy, fear and anxiety running through my system all day long as a result of constantly checking the news, having endless conversations with no real solutions, and drinking coffee like it was going out of style was beginning to have side effects. I actually felt like all the anxiaty might actually make me sick. The thing we’re apparently all trying to avoid in the first place. I knew I had to take extra measures, so I put some new rules and practices into place and decided to share them here with you. I’m feeling MUCH better overall and I hope these ideas help you find some peace as well.
1 - Breath
Most of us pay little-to-no attention to our breathing throughout the day. And yet our breath has a Massive impact on our state of mind and ability to feel peaceful. Simply slowing down your breath, and expanding your inhalation by taking in more air than normal, you can quickly calm down your nervous system. It’s easy and can be done anywhere at anytime.
Try it. First bring your attention to your breath. Just notice it. Is it shallow or fast? Can you feel the breath going in and coming out of your nose? Take a deep inhale while expanding your chest. Imagine you are filling a balloon. Then hold it for a moment or two. With control, slowly exhale all the air out while gently pushing all the last remaining air out at the end. Do that 2-3 or even 10 times. You should feel the effects immediately!
2 - Hum
Simply humming in long, slow, natural rhythms is another easy way to calm the nervous system. And it’s fun. Humming in yoga is called Bhramari and over the last few years its become one of my favorite things to do. I’m not a singer, and singing has always been a bit terrifying for me. But humming is a kind of musical thing I CAN do and is fun and enjoyable.
Try it! Take a deep inhale and then slowly exhale while humming. Let your vocal cord naturally arrive at a comfortable tone and hold the hum as long as you can without forcing it. Do about 3-5 long, slow hums. As you get more comfortable with your hum you can play with the tone of your hum. Try a higher pitch and a lower pitch. Explore your natural range and observe which pitch is the most comfortable and natural. I find my “natural hum” changes day to day and with my moods.
3 - Only check the news ONE time in the morning
Checking the news IS a good idea right now because of all the changes taking place every day. We all want to be in the know so we can make the best decisions and stay safe. However, glueing yourself to the news all day, results in running fear and crisis-mode energy through your system all day. It’s not unhealthy OR particularly useful.
Here’s a suggestion: Check the news in the morning. Get a good idea of what’s going on and if there’s anything actually NEW and USEFUL you need to be aware of. Then be done with it for the day. Don’t check it again till the next morning. The chances that anything new and important will be shared that afternoon is unlikely and you’ll feel much better throughout the rest of your day into the night. Try it!
4 - Cut out ALL caffeinated beverages
Ok, so this isn’t particularly “easy” for everyone, least of all me. My morning coffee is usually the best part of waking up and something I always look forward to. But in a time of crisis and stress, caffeinated beverages like coffee and strong tea can literally make things worse in your system.
Coffee ramps up your cortisol and puts you in the fight-or-flight mode. That’s useful sometimes but not right now with everything crazy going on. If you’re like me and usually drink coffee everyday, try going cold turkey for a week or so. The first day is hard—I had a headache all day—but the peaceful effect is almost immediate in the following days. Try it!
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5 - Look up
I heard this one years ago on a podcast and it works! Basically it’s a way to easily bring yourself into the present moment.
Try it. Simply look up, at the tops of buildings, and even the sky for a few moments. Let your gaze dwell there for some time. It has an almost immediate calming effect for some reason. If you’re in a park or on your patio try laying down and simply staring at the sky and the clouds for 5 minutes. It’s simple and almost always works.
6 - Do YOUR yoga
Everyone can do yoga, and everyone who does THERE yoga feels better. Your yoga might just be some simple breathing as described above while raising and lowering your arms. Perhaps you do some gentle forward folding or twists.
You could do this for as little as 7-10 minutes and then be done with it for the day. (The idea that you need to do more than an hour of yoga to get any benefits is FALSE.) Then do it again the next day and the next day. Keep it up for a solid week and I promise you will feel the gift of yoga arising as a peace within your body and mind. Try it!
8 - Do what you CAN do
There’s probably a bunch of stuff going on in your life that feels totally out of your control, because it is. It might be impossible not to completely close the door on all that stuff, but instead of focusing on all those things you CAN’T do anything about, force your mind to consider what it is you CAN do right now.
For example: you CAN breath. You CAN do your yoga. You CAN talk about something else. You CAN hum. You CAN look at the sky and give your mind a break. In yoga this is called our Sadhana- the thing we can do. When we focus on what we can do we feel more peaceful because we realize there ARE things still in our control that we have the power to participate in and activate. Doing those things helps to return the sense of autonomy many of us need to peaceful. Try it!
If you’re feeling especially stressed out and beginning to hit your breaking point. I invite you to contact me. I’ll help you find YOUR yoga so you have something powerful in your toolbox during this crazy time.
@chriswhuubard on IG or FB
