Oh no, not another day!
When the alarm goes off in the morning, and you feel like ‘Oh no, not another day,’ that’s when you need to stop for a moment, put that thought aside and give yourself some time to consider why you feel this way?
On Fragrant Pauses to Replenish
For most of us, we are “on the go” from the moment we get up to when we put our head on the pillow at night. We run our body’s battery flat out and expect a lot from it. What happens is that without taking sufficient rest, our body and brain can get fatigued. It is no wonder that we are losing our verve energy, the powerful capacity to go out into the world, and make things happen. Maybe we need a different strategy to keep up the pace.
Day time rest or “pauses” are a simpler way to sustain your physical energy. Taking brief and regular micro breaks through your day will enable you to sustain your physical energy and your mental concentration. Think of this approach as building a rhythmical flow throughout you day. You are not a machine. You were designed to pulse and to move from intensity to recovery. Ideally you build in recovery through your day and week. If you have been under high periods of intensity and stress in your life, create a period to recover.
Breath of Fresh Air
It took me quite a while to realise how helpful taking slow paced, deep breaths was for restoring my balance … mind, body and energy.
If you are looking to reduce the tension in your body and come back to being more open and present… then taking a few slow deep breaths is a simple way to feel more at ease. It is natural, free and is always there.
Slow, deep breathing is an effective way to reverse the symptoms of the “flight-fight-and freeze” response that occurs when we perceive some form of threat to our safety. It activates what is called our parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s “brake response” which reverses the accumulated stress symptoms. Deep, slow breathing immediately slows down the heart rate and creates a calming effect.
The benefits of a regular practice of simple deep breathing is well documented, including: decreased anxiety and depression, increased energy levels, muscle relaxation, improved sleep, strengthened ability to regulate emotions and mood and decreased feelings of stress. Sounds compelling, doesn’t it?