Hello, Beauties🌸 Today’s post, Are You Waiting to Exhale? Know The Benefits of Conscious Breathing.
Last week, I had my 6-month checkup with my internist. The medical assistant called me back to get my vitals; you know the weight, height, blood pressure check, list of all medications, and endless questions for any changes. I passed with flying colors, no weight gain, and BP reading normal.
The visit starts to take a nose dive when the practitioner comes in and queries me about my last six months. Then she proceeds to retake my blood pressure. The results this time, not so good!
My first blood pressure reading: 128/76, within healthy guidelines. The second reading: 160/80. At this point, the doctor gave me a few simple instructions. First, uncross my legs, sit up straight, take a deep breath by expanding my belly, pausing, exhaling slowly to the count of five and repeating a few times. The third reading, back to normal: 128/76.
Boy, what an aha moment for me. My six-month disclosure statements included the recent diagnosis of my mother’s Ovarian Cancer with the question, Am I at risk?
I got a lecture from my doc about the importance of taking care of one’s physical and mental self; being mindful of any challenges that you may take on for your yourself or loved ones.
My intent on sharing my personal information is how internalizing situations can affect you. With the short exercise of conscious breathing, it not only calmed my nervous system but reduced stress, increased alertness, boosted my immune system, and lowered my blood pressure back to normal.
Dr. Richard Brown, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and co-author of “The Healing Power of Breath” states his theory. Controlled breathing can change the response of the body’s autonomic nervous system, which controls unconscious process such as heart rate and digestion as well as the body’s stress response.
It seems that consciously changing the way you breathe appears to send a signal to the brain to adjust the nervous system, which can slow the heart rate, digestion and promote feelings of calm thus reduce stress.
The lesson here, winter and the holidays are right around the corner; it’s crucial to stay healthy and balanced to avoid getting either sick or stressed:
◊ Eat a balanced diet with whole foods
◊ Get plenty of Vitamin C
◊ Drink plenty of water
◊ Exercise at least 3x a week
◊ Relax, laugh, breathe and enjoy life
Don’t wait to exhale anytime about anything especially during the upcoming holiday season. If needed, breath through the nose to fill up lungs when feeling overwhelmed or agitated with people or situations, maintain your physical and mental health. You now know the benefits of controlled breathing, be mindful to take a breath deeply before any information or challenge consumes you.
Thank you for reading, Have a fabulous Thanksgiving with family or friends.
