How can your body help your mind? How can we work on connecting them? What role does your breath play? The fourth session in this series, Connecting Mind and Body, will help to answer these questions.
A big part of yoga is breathwork and connecting your breath with movement. Often in yoga a particular movement is paired with either an inhale or an exhale. Some people think of the inhale as expanding and the exhale as extending. Our inhale is connected to the sympathetic nervous system (excitement), and the exhale is connected with the parasympathetic nervous system (calming). Our heart rate even increases as we inhale compared to when we exhale.
Yoga instructor Matt Sanford talks about the inhale as taking in and appreciating the world, and then exhaling yourself back into service to the world.
Have you really paid attention to your breath? Or how you breathe when you move? Or how changes in your breath may impact how you feel? Join Sanford and Greater Los Angeles VA Physician Indira Subramanian, MD, in this 9-minute video, which includes a meditative breath and movement practice.
You can also check out the other sessions in this series here on #LiveWholeHealth Archives – VAntage Point.
- Connecting Mind & Body Session 1
- Connecting Mind & Body Session 2
- Connecting Mind and Body – Session 3 – YouTube
If you are interested in learning more about breathing and whole health, check out this handout: BreathingAndHealth-508Final-9-4-2018.pdf (va.gov).
Topics in this story
More Stories
Ignoring challenging emotions can negatively impact our health. Breathe through worry, anger and sadness in 5 minutes with this week's #LiveWholeHealth practice.
We all have to-do lists, but our health can't always wait. See how improved posture can improve our well-being in this week's #LiveWholeHealth practice.
After a long day, relaxing shouldn't feel like another chore. Unwind in minutes with Progressive Muscle Relaxation for this week's #LiveWholeHealth practice.
