5 ways to breathe your way through holidays

By Dan Brulé

‘Tis the season to calm your nerves, settle your stomach, clear your head, and open your heart!

Well, not only have we been dealing with the tremendous difficulties and disruptions in life due to Covid, now it’s time for a traditional dose of hectic holiday stress! More than ever, we need to be able to relax on demand, become more resilient, and develop world-class coping skills. We need to focus on our own wellness and self care, so that we can show up at our best and take care of those who we love. Did you know that for three years in a row, breathwork has been named the leading global trend in health wellness? More books were written about breathing in the last ten years than in the last 100! And thousands of medical and scientific studies in the past 20 years have shown breathwork to be extremely beneficial to physical, emotional, and psychological health and wellbeing. That’s right: a few minutes of conscious breathing has been proven to help you to relieve your stress and reduce your anxiety; regulate and control your energy and emotions; reduce your blood pressure and slow your heart rate; and strengthen and balance your nervous and immune systems. Practice the breathing exercises and techniques recommended by leading medical experts – the same ones that Navy Seals, special forces, and first responders use to remain clear and calm during difficult situations and circumstances; to navigate what they call VUCA situations: Volatile, Uncertain, Chaotic, Ambiguous. Thanks to the pandemic, it seems we are all living in VUCA times, and so everyone deserves to have the same knowledge and skills. Here are some breathing tips to help you to reduce stress and anxiety gripping the whole world these days, raise your emotional intelligence, energize yourself and strengthen your immune system, improve focus and concentration and balance your nervous system, and fall into a sweet sleep at the end of a busy day.

1 The rule of thumb for anti-stress and anti-anxiety breathing is “low and slow.” Breathe into your belly at a rate of between four and eight breaths per minute. Put your hands over your lower belly and consciously breathe into your hands. Feel the breath moving your hands as you send the breath all the way down to the floor of your pelvis.

2 Connecting to yourself and others with loving and caring emotions is as simple and easy as forming a heartfelt intention and then breathing into your heart! Focus on your heart as you breathe in and imagine filling yourself with the energy of love and kindness. Then, when you breathe out, send that energy and those emotions out to those around you. Feel your heart space opening and expanding with each inhale and feel your body softening and relaxing with each exhale.

3 To strengthen your immune system and charge yourself with energy when you are feeling low or depleted, use the “Sniff and Pooh” technique: Take two quick sharp inhales through your nose, and then exhale out your mouth, making a powerful “pooh” sound. Do this in a quick steady rhythm for one or two minutes. Two quick sharp shooting inhales followed immediately by a full powerful exhale. It’s fun, and it’s very energizing, so go for it!

4 To improve your focus and concentration, and to balance your nervous system, practice “Square Breathing.” Inhale to the count of four, pause for the count of four, exhale for the count of four, pause for the count of four, and keep doing that in a cycle. Do this for a few minutes to prepare for an important event or activity, or when something disturbs you or throws you off balance.

5 Practice the “one-two breath” to relax and unwind, to rest and recover, or when you want to slip into blissful sleep. The one-two breath means your exhale is twice as long as your inhale. So, if you inhale two, exhale four. If you inhale three, exhale six. If you inhale four, exhale eight, etc., When you inhale, do so very gently. Don't use any muscles you don’t have to. And when you exhale, deliberately relax every muscle, and loosen every joint. Imagine your body melting on the exhale as you focus your mind on the most peaceful and soothing thoughts and images.

Dan Brulé is a New Bedford native. He is the author of Just Breathe: Mastering Breathwork for Success in Life, Love, Business, and Beyond. Dan is the director of The International Center for Breathwork and the founder of The Breathing Festival. He has traveled to over 65 countries and has trained more than 250,000 people to use the breath as a tool for health, growth, and change, in body, mind and spirit. He trains and certifies professional breathwork coaches and trainers.

For more information visit breathmastery.com, facebook.com/ DanBruleBreathMastery, or Instagram @danbruleofficial.

By Dan Brulé holidays! 5WAYS TO breathe YOUR WAY THROUGH THE