Take a Break and Breathe

The Take a Zen Break post included a link about the Science of Breath,  which led me to this week’s post-exploring different breathing techniques and figuring out what works best in what situations.

Breathing is an integral part of healing and it’s been discussed in various forms for thousands of years. If you’ve had experience with natural child birth, yoga, Qigong, relaxation, or meditation, you know that the type of breathing can very and can result in physiological changes that make you feel more relaxed, lessen pain and anxiety considerably, and even lower blood pressure.

Watch this short video on How breathing works

Start off by noticing your breath. Is it shallow or are you breathing deeply from the stomach area? How do you feel?

Try a “ square breathing” technique to relax. For the count of four each, inhale, hold, exhale, hold. Use the chart to remind you. 

For different breathing techniques, check out the following links:

• Breathing: Three Exercises Dr. Andrew Weil provides three types of breathing exercises -Stimulating Breath, 4-7-8 or relaxing breath and Breath Counting. He provides easy to follow descriptions. 

• 6 Breathing Exercises to Relax in 10 Minutes or Less 

• Years ago, I received a “loon clock,” which “chimes every hour. When I hear that, it’s a good reminder to take a moment and breathe. Just about anything can serve as the reminder to breathe-ringing phone, In our techie age, there are now apps to help us to remember to take a moment and truly breathe. If you need this type of reminder, there are plenty of free ones available on-line such as Mindfulness Bell.

Do you feel that you matter?

At the moment, I seem to know a number of people struggling with a basic concern that who they are, what they do, and how they interact with the world doesn’t matter.  Not surprising, such negative feelings can contribute to illness. In fact, the Blue Zones project has found that People who know why they wake up in the morning, what their life purpose is, live longer, better lives. 

In our hurried world, where a cell phone has become more important than the person in front of us, value is based on what we can measure-income, success, looks, performance, fame, status etc. This is BS, as it doesn’t necessarily translate into feelings of self worth and feed your soul. If it did, every Hollywood celebrity would be supremely happy and our headlines would not be filled with stories of their drug overdoses, jail terms, suicides, and the never-ending saga of their lives.

At the most basic level we all matter because the cosmos, life force, universe, God or whatever term you wish to use, has put us here at this point in time and space. While it gives one the sense that even with all our mistakes and frailties we have a role to play, figuring out our part is not always easy. 

Contrary to popular belief, living a life that matters or “following your bliss,” to quote Joseph Campbell, will not necessarily make you rich or score points on society’s current value scale. The reward is the contentment and joy that comes from being in sync with who you are with what you do.

So how does one find their purpose, “bliss” or reason for getting up in the morning?

Simply put-live mindfully in the present so that you can identify your passion in order to engage in it daily.

Need a more detailed approach? Check out Blue Zones- Finding Your Purpose  and/or read Mary Oliver’s poem Wild Geese.

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting-

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

Mary Oliver, Dream Work, Grove Atlantic Inc., 1986 & New and Selected Poems, Beacon Press, 1992.

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!

Take a Break: Make Paper Cut Valentines

I so love cutting paper! Here are various patterns to try when making Valentine’s for family, friends, neighbors or for the many people in your life that make it a little brighter.

• MarthaStewart’s Paper cut Hearts: This will take a while, but it’s gorgeous when you’re done. Definitely suitable for framing. Even if you don’t want to cut out this particular design, she has a good video and directions on paper cutting. 

• Simple Paper Cut 

• 25 Paper Heart Project Tutorials 

Valentine projects from past years:

• Valentine’sDay Activities Paper and Scissors (chains, cobweb, German Paper cutting) 

• Eatable Valentines  

• Valentine’scupcakes 

• Valentine Haiku and Mandala 

• Mantras/Kisses at the Bottom/Valentines 

• Make some last minute Valentine’s 

Not interested in today’s activity? Check out the Take a Break Pinterest for lots of Take a Break ideas. 

Whose health advice do you take seriously?

Recently I was talking to a friend about her Mom, who is almost 80, smokes, rarely sees a doctor and horrors of horrors, according to her daughter, she takes baby aspirin and fish oil daily because her manicurist recommended it. “Can you believe where she’s getting her health information from?”

There would have been a time that I would have joined in the discussion, agreeing with my friend, but over the years, I’ve learned there are a lot of “voices in the choir” when it comes to health advice.

In general, people see their hairdressers, barber, manicurist, massage therapist etc. more frequently than their doctor. Not only do these service providers make them look and feel good, they will spend hours with their client versus the 15 minutes that’s available from many medical providers.

In the case of hairdressers, there is research that shows that close to 70% of regular beauty salon attendees, go for the opportunity to discuss their problems. In fact, 84% of them would trust their hairdresser’s advice over a therapist. Even the Sasson ABC guide reflects this by noting that working in a salon environment requires 10% ability and 90% psychology.

For many years now, barbers have been trained to take blood pressures as a way to deal with the high levels of hypertension among black men. There are a variety of programs underway to test if this also a good way to do outreach for diabetes and other health issues. 

Librarians are another trusted source of information, since many people go to the library to use computers as well as for books and movies. It’s not uncommon for librarians to know about someone’s diagnosis before their family or friends..

The medical community is aware how much people trust and rely on hair care and other service professionals and so are helping to educate them. For several years, I ran a program for librarians helping them set up local health information websites and re configure their health materials section. While many of the librarians were excellent, there were some with very strange and even dangerous ideas that should not be shared with patrons.

There are lots of examples where advice from family, friends or hairdresser has directed someone to life saving help. It’s also true that such advice taken does nothing, or at worse is very harmful. All advice is not equal. Without belaboring the point, “cut to the chase” and consider these three things before taking someone’s advice seriously:

• Are they trying to sell you something?

• Are they telling you there is a cure when research and your medical provider have indicated that there isn’t? Try not to let your fear of your medical condition cloud your judgement. 

• If it “Sounds to Good to be True” it probably is.

To help you evaluate "advice" check out Scams, Frauds and Quacks.

Take a Break: Exercise without leaving your house

This is one of those Vermont winters were if there isn’t another foot of new snow, temps are below 0 and there is a driving wind on top of it. The lack of sunshine and being indoors so much can wear you down, so below is a post I recently wrote for my town’s blog:

The Indoor Workout to Beat the Cavendish Chill

With temps in the single digits and below 0, it’s hard to get motivated to go for a walk, ice skate, ski or go to the gym. Too much time cuddled by the wood stove can make you tired, lethargic and even lead to the famous “Vermont Blues.” Try one of the following ways to stay warm, fit and healthy this winter. It will not only improve your mood, but you’ll also stay warmer without increasing your heat bill.

• Jump Rope

• Use a bottom step, large book, piece of wood and step up and down while watching or listening to your favorite show.

• Dance. Mardi Gras is just around the corner so try some of the Zydeco dances: Zydeco Two Step and/or Zydeco Bounce Line Dance 

• Use a free YouTube workout. Lots to choose from, just Google “free workout.”

• Yoga, Tai Chi and Qigong all have major cardio and strengthening benefits as well as help you distress, so take a Kripalu Yoga Break or try Tai Chi.

• 50 Body Weight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere 

• Indoor Workout Ideas from Military Fitness 

• Invite a friend over and work out together. Might even get some extra cardio in by cleaning the house first

• If you have exercise equipment lying around use it. Use Google to help you find interesting and new ways to use it.

How are you staying warm and fit this winter?

Not interested in today’s activity? Check out the Take a Break Pinterest for lots of Take a Break ideas.