In 2020 and 2021 we all learned what resilience meant in a time when the global pandemic, with unpredictable shut downs were still real and fresh in our minds. Masks and social distancing…our whole way of life flipped upside down and inside out. Whether it was emerging out of the pandemic or from some other lesson along your journey, resilience is certainly something to celebrate! People who are resilient not only find a way to carry on, they also find ways to thrive in the moment of adversity and challenge. I have learned that some of the key characteristics in people who are resilient include being able to self-regulate, being flexible while still having healthy boundaries, maintaining a positive spin on life, having advanced supportive communication skills and they can see that failing forward actually provides an opportunity to grow! Unfortunately, the road to resilience is often paved with trauma and emotional dysregulation. We can learn to honor those experiences and perform a quick breathwork Practice to anchor yourself in the present, help you feel centered and enjoy each day mindfully, gratefully and with intention.
My journey to resilience was a long and winding road with gut-wrenching emotional trauma and blissful moments of joy where in the end…my breath brought me back to present, to the best version of me! I learned to breathe through my past, breathe into the present and manifest the future I wanted through my breath. Through SOMA breathwork, I learned how to retrain my subconscious to release, heal, acknowledge and BE with my pain with gratitude instead of pushing it down or numbing myself so that I could become the person I was meant to BE all along! Although this short Practice will not bring you through my personal transformation described above, it will let you celebrate YOU! I invite you to take the time this week to celebrate your resilience and all that you are meant to BE!
The Practice:
I like to do this Practice in the morning before breakfast to begin my day with uplifting thoughts and a strong presence for the day ahead knowing I can do anything I set my mind to!
1. Stand tall with your spine straight and your feet hip distance apart and ground them into the earth or your floor.
2. Put a slight bend in your knees and rest your arms at your sides.
3. Set your intention for how you would like to celebrate YOU with your eyes closed and see it in your mind’s eye!
4. Open your eyes and slowly and lovingly, breathe in for 4-seconds through your nose and out for 4-seconds through your nose for 5 repetitions.
5. Take a deep inhale through your nose, lengthen your spine and reach your arms out by your sides with your palms facing upward and slowly come into prayer position paying attention to the muscles you are using in your body and send them love. Stay in this position for 2-seconds.
6. As you exhale, draw your palms downward toward the middle of your chest and rest them in front of your heart space, keep your spine tall and ground your feet into the earth or the floor. Hold your hands in this position for 2-seconds.
7. Release your arms down by your sides and repeat these steps for 3-minutes.
8. After 3-minutes, rest your arms at your side and close your eyes for 1-minute focusing on your intention and your normal breath.
9. Repeat this mantra-
I love you
I am strong
I am resilient
I am enough
10. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale with an extended tone of AAAAUUUUMMM!
11. Don’t forget to journal your experience! Recall any sensations you may have felt in your body or any emotions that may have emerged.
Weekly Breath Challenge:
I invite you to celebrate YOU with this Practice each day this week. Remember to journal your experience each day. Notice how you feel each morning when you wake up especially at the end of practicing this for 7-days!
With love and gratitude …just breathe and let peace be your guide!