Happy Monday!
As I continue to grow and grieve throughout my life, I have learned that grief has many faces. It can be the loss of a family member, dear friend or cherished pet who has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. It can be the loss of self, or the loss of someone you love whose life has changed due to unexpected events. For all of its faces, loss is part of life and the deep feelings of sorrow and grief we experience can often feel so heavy that our nervous systems shift out of alignment. Breathwork and body posture combined can shift your nervous energy state and bring relief allowing stagnation to turn to productivity with the ability to move freely in time.
In changing our posture, we can relieve that heavy feeling where we just want to crawl up in a ball or shut down with slumping to protect our heart. Often, people who are grieving will breathe shallowly or will unknowingly hold their breath. As a result, these patterns can impact our ability to process our feelings of grief. By improving our posture and our breathing, the fatigue and mental fog that comes along with grief can be relieved by taking long, slow inhales through the nose and exhales through the mouth or nose through the abdomen (belly breathing) . This Practice creates space for you to BE in touch with your emotions in a safe and focused way. Combining the breath with a good yoga pose can restore an over- excited nervous system.
At the end of the guided Practice described below, check out the important announcement to see details on the 9-day SOMA Breathwork-Qoya Retreat being offered in Amazonia Peru in the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve February 2-10, 2024 and learn how you can save $1111.00 during early bird registration which is NOW open! https://serenitywellnessandcoaching.com/amazon-retreat/
The Practice:
1. Yoga pose – “Legs-up the wall”. Find a spot to sit on a blanket or yoga mat close to the wall and then carefully roll onto your side and extend your legs up the wall so that your buttocks meet the wall and the floor and create a 90 degree angel between your back and your legs. Align your torso to your hips and rest your arms at your side. This position places your diaphragm in the best position for gravity to support the exhale. You will notice that your inhales will begin to deepen and lengthen on their own as your heart rate begins to slow down, thus sending a message to the brain that all is relaxed and well in the body. This restorative position will allow for you to self-regulate and to feel emotions for whatever stage of grief you may be attending to at this time.
2. Set your intention.
3. Begin breathing slowly and inhale through the nose for 4-seconds and exhale through the mouth or nose for 8-seconds for a total of 8-minutes.
4. At the end of the 8-minutes, return to normal breathing and BE with yourself for the next two-minutes and take notice to any images or thoughts that may have come up during your breathing and to how you are feeling in this moment.
5. When you are ready to come out of the yoga posture, bend your knees into your chest and roll to one side. Slowly sit up. Before standing, give your self a hug for showing up to close your Practice!
6. Journal your thoughts, emotions and any other comments you may have on this Practice.
Weekly Breath Challenge:
I invite you to incorporate this technique at least once each day this week, especially if you are feeling grief for any type of loss you may have recently experienced. Notice the shifts and rememBEr to journal!
With love and gratitude …just breathe and let peace be your guide!
Serenity
Wellness & Coaching