Live Whole Health #192: Take a breath

You’re sitting in your car, stuck in traffic, late for work, thinking about a fight you had with a dear friend. Your fingers are tight on the steering wheel. Your foot is bouncing between brake and gas pedals. A horn is blaring at you and an angry driver next to you is screaming and shaking his fist.

You wake up…. oh, it was just a bad dream! Whew! You are safe in your bed. It is your day off. The fight didn’t happen. No angry driver is screaming at you. Take a breath. Enjoy the sunshine coming in your window. Smell the coffee brewing.

Take a deep inhale. Take another. Take a third. You take your breath with you everywhere you go and it can help you through even the most difficult situations.

Our mind and breath have tremendous power to calm our body and soothe anxious thoughts. You have the power to transform every anxious moment using mindfulness of breath.

Use the power of the mind and your breath as an anchor into the present moment

You take this power with you everywhere—in the supermarket, at your granddaughter’s soccer game, even at the DMV! Everywhere you go, you can access your mind and breath to create a sense of calm in your body.

It takes practice, though. We don’t remember to breathe when we are stressed unless we have practiced and learned how powerful the breath can be. Check it out today with this 12-minute mindfulness of breath activity guided by Brandon Yabko, Ph.D. from Salt Lake City VA Medical Center. Prepare to connect with your breath and your body in a brand-new way.

Learn and practice other breathing practices here. If you have trouble breathing, are on oxygen, or become dizzy or lightheaded easily, you may need extra support for these breathing practices. If so, talk with your health care team before doing breathing exercises.