DISCOVER
BELLY BREATHING
The mindfulness technique you need to learn Written by Christina Dalton
W
elcome back to part three in our mindfulness series. In article one we learned the definition of mindfulness. According to the “godfather of mindfulness,” Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.” In article two, we dug a little deeper into this definition and learned the grounding technique 5,4,3,2,1. Grounding techniques connect us to the present moment. As we close
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out this series, we are going to take a closer look at how mindfulness can impact your own life. In early 2007, I started to experience symptoms of anxiety. At the time I had no idea what was happening to me. I would break out in a sweat, have shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat. I immediately thought that something was wrong or I was having a heart attack. After lots of doctor visits and tests, I found out I was experiencing anxiety. As relieved as I was, I knew
something needed to change. This was my first step into mindfulness and achieving a greater sense of well-being. The very first technique I learned and still practice daily is belly breathing. Focusing on my breath brings me into the present moment. This kind of breathing changed my life. When I would start to have those intense feelings, deep breathing would calm me while communicating a sense of safety to my body. Mindfulness was able to reduce the suffering I was experiencing during that time.
