Pause for a moment. Notice how you are breathing- how does it feel?

Slow?

Fast?

Through the mouth?

Through the nose?

Have you ever stopped to think about your breath?

Breathing, something so simple that every single one of us do, is often overlooked. I see many clients who come to the realization that they have not breathed through their nose for a long time. I was once one of the mouth breathers, until I realized one day that it was difficult to take a deep breath to calm myself down.  Try right now, taking a deep breath through the mouth and out the mouth.

Now try through the nose and out the nose.

Then try through the nose and out the mouth.

Breathing properly (in through the nose) will begin to elicit the relaxation response, activating the parasympathetic nervous system. It becomes a tool that you can use in traffic, in lineups, whenever someone irritates you, frustrates you, or if you just need a moment amidst a very hectic day.

Breathing is critically important to calming the body, and we will be exploring more about the breath on our blog over the next few months- stay tuned.