Today I want to connect you with one of your most powerful tools of transformation. This tool is there for you at any given moment and has the ability to re-connect you with your confidence within minutes.
This tool is actually a gateway to more ease, relaxation, and peace. And I imagine you would love more of that right now.
You don’t have to go through a complicated process, or spend weeks and months learning a new technique. This tool is deeply simple, and the fastest way to accessing your Powerful Presence.
What is it? It’s your breath.
I’m going to outline this tool, and then give you ways you can use it today as a gateway of transformation.
Your breath is a direct reflection of your nervous system. If you are anxious, upset or tense, your breath will be tight and mostly happening in your throat or upper chest. And conversely when you are feeling relaxed, your breath is long and slow, and usually coming more from your belly. When your nervous system is calm, your whole body functions optimally. There is a signal of safety being sent to your whole being, and so all aspects of your body can flow and work with the magical intelligence they possess.
But when your nervous system is maxed out, overwhelmed, or on high alert from a perceived threat, your mind takes over and says over and over, “it’s not ok. I’m not ok.” And when you’re anxious and overwhelmed, then your confidence plummets.
It’s all related.
But, here’s the magic: despite alarm bells ringing, anxiety, or your mind going on a speedy loop telling you everything is wrong, using your breath in that moment can literally transform your experience.
When you place all your attention on your breath, your mind slows. The expansion starts to send a signal of safety to your body, and what may have felt like a huge escalation of intense energy begins to calm.
From an article on The Cut, Edith Zimmerman writes,
“Breathing deeply,” Katie Brindle writes in her new book Yang Sheng: The Art of Chinese Self-Healing, “immediately relaxes the body because it stimulates the vagus nerve, which runs from the neck to the abdomen and is in charge of turning off the ‘fight or flight’ reflex.” Also: “Stimulating the vagus nerve,” per a recent Harvard Health blog post, “activates your relaxation response, reducing your heart rate and blood pressure.” Deep breathing “turns on the vagus nerve enough that it acts as a brake on the stress response.”
This is why so many relaxation techniques and healing modalities that have been around for hundreds and thousands of years all use the breath as the foundation of their work. We can look at yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and meditation as beautiful historical evidence.
And in my work, I am constantly seeing this simple tool create radical transformation, often in minutes.
Back in July, I was a guest speaker on a online panel about self care and led the group in a simple five minute breathing exercise. I had everyone check in with how they felt at the beginning, and many felt tense and on edge. After just five minutes, when I concluded, one of the hosts looked right at the camera and said, “WOW!” She seemed to be glowing, and in awe of the change that happened, and then continued to exclaim how much better she felt. She experienced a complete transformation just by slowing down and connecting to her breath.
And what is so beautiful about the breath, is that it truly affects everything. On a biological level, it slows down the heart rate, and on an emotional level it calms strong emotions. Your breath creates SPACE within you, and when you have space, you can re-connect to your confidence again.
Your confidence was always there, it just needed more air flow.
Remember your confidence is a living, breathing part of you. Breath is the basis of life, so when we breathe deeply, then we are nourishing all aspects of our life, including our confidence.
It’s all related.
There are many modalities out there around breath work from Kundalini meditations, somatic exercises, guided meditations, and several Eastern movement practices.
But today, I want to offer a very simple breathing exercise you can do right now, and very quickly experience transformation.
* Find yourself a comfortable seat, or lay down if not feeling well
* Close your eyes and bring all your attention to your breath.
* Begin by feeling the breath coming in and out of your nose, the air flowing gently
* Now place your hand on your heart, and breathe slowly and gently through your nose, imagining the air flowing down to your heart
* Exhale out the mouth
* Lower your hand and place it at your solar plexus, and breathe slowly and gently through your nose, imagining the air flowing down to your solar plexus.
* Exhale out the mouth
* Lower your hand and place it on your belly, and breath slowly and gently through your nose, imagining the air flowing down to your belly
* Exhale out the mouth
* Now release your hand, and inhale through your nose feeling your whole body fill with breath. Feel your body expand on all sides.
* Release through the mouth
* Repeat the whole body breath 3x
* When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes and give your body a hug of gratitude.
Keep this simple tool nearby for when you are feeling shaky, overwhelmed, scared, or anxious.
You have the ability to transform in every moment. It’s right there within you.
Sip gently your breath, feel it fill your nose and being, and exhale all that no longer serves you. Welcome in the peace that resides within. Step through the gateway of transformation to your Powerful Presence.