Using the Breath to Calm and De-Stress

You’re caught in traffic, a co-worker is in a foul mood once you’re at work, your boss is giving you more work than you can possibly get done, and you wonder where you’ll find the time for yourself after you get home and tend to household chores or spend time with your family.

You may have many times during the day when life can be stressful, too busy, or overwhelming. 

I remember a time like this at work as a younger woman, stressed by all the projects given to me by my boss, with no additional help. In private I found myself crying and trying to regroup to get all of my work done.

Consciously choosing to slow your breathing is one technique that can help you to stay grounded and centered.

Many years ago I discovered that I could take some slow, deep breaths in my day for a quick way to center and calm myself.

Your Sensitivity

As someone who might be considered very sensitive and empathic, I needed to find simple ways to stay calm and not get overwhelmed in certain environments or situations.

When doing readings or sessions with clients, I can often feel their emotions and sometimes even physical sensations they might be experiencing. If like me, you ever find yourself taking on someone else’s feelings or physical sensations, slowing your breath is one way to release these feelings and sensations.

If we remain unaware, as human beings we often begin calibrating our energy in a group situation, which could mean just 2 or more people.

With conscious awareness, you can choose how to react or manage your body in various situations.

Sometimes the most loving thing you can do for yourself is to be in awareness.

In this state you can be compassionate yet not necessarily matching someone else’s emotions or energy.

Body Awareness

Knowing your home state, or the times when your body is relaxed and at ease, gives you a template for knowing when you feel out of balance. For those of you who are sensitive, this may also happen when you are with others who are not centered. You may also notice feeling this way in environments that are crowded or chaotic.

Paying attention to the breath can bring awareness to when your body is feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or out of balance.

One area I often notice this is my chest. For instance, I might begin taking on my client's feeling of emotional pain. Initially this can be a sign for me to feel empathy, but I need to quickly shift emotions I might be feeling that are not mine.

Another common area we may feel tension or unease is the stomach or digestive area. Sometimes this might be felt as anxiety, tightness, or even queasiness.

Checking in with our physical sensations and asking ourselves what is needed is key to being able to choose our reactions to situations. Our decisions can then be made more consciously.

We may choose to remove ourselves from certain situations or people in order to regain our calm and balanced state.If uncomfortable feelings or physical sensations persist, it is always a good idea to consult with a healing practitioner such as a counselor or medical professional. There are times when we benefit from getting help from someone else.

Using the Breath

Slowly taking a few breaths in and slowly exhaling out can be done very quickly.

It releases unwanted energy from your body that you may have taken in such as environmental stress from a crowded store or a phone call or conversation with a friend who is very emotional. Even being in close proximity to someone who is experiencing strong emotions may cause you to feel out of balance.

After taking in a few deep breaths and slowly exhaling, I immediately can feel the shift in my body from feeling tense or overwhelmed to calm and centered.

Depending upon the intensity, it may take me a few more moments of slow, intentional breathing to stay centered. If it can't be easily done in the moment, it can be done afterward.

I've done my slow breathing while shopping in Target, driving my car, during phone calls, or even during some in-person conversations with others.

Our physical body is connected to our energy body, or aura and chakras. This unseen energy is just as important as our physical body.

Having an awareness of our feelings, emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations can help us to be in more balance and better cope with stress or overwhelm.

Taking the time to slow down and breathe intentionally brings us into presence. Sometimes we may not even know what triggers our physical reactions or feelings.

Slowing our breath can calm the mind chatter and the body, allowing us the space we need to go within and reflect on what might be bothering us.

Once we begin this inner dialogue with ourselves, we can begin to use the practice of breath awareness to consciously choose to alter our state from stress to greater ease. It also becomes easier to get in touch with our true essence, that wise part of ourselves that knows we are loved, accepted, and possess tremendous inner strength and compassion.