The Power of Three Deep Breaths
Kristi Stangeland of My Paravita, www.myparavita.com conducted a workshop with me and the Future Female Leaders Program participants this month, and it was amazing. I learned so much and was reminded about a few other things that I know but need a nudge about from time to time. During the session Kristi taught us a simple technique to reduce the impact of prolonged stress on our bodies (and minds). It’s the Three Deep Breaths technique explained below; I encourage you to try it.
The Power of Three Deep Breaths
We tend to be shallow breathers in general. We don’t often think about how we breath through the day and during our busy days, or when we are stressed, our breathing might get shallower. We can use the technique of Three Deep Breaths to help us regain balance, reduce feelings of stress.
The reason this works is because the parasympathetic nervous system relates to breath –taking deep breaths activates parasympathetic system which relaxes the body after periods of stress or danger. It is responsible for the heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion when we are at rest. The sympathetic nervous system is the complement of the parasympathetic nervous system, it puts the body on alert, but it strains the body when it’s activated for too long.
The Three Deep Breaths breathing technique is an easy way to calm yourself, it’s important to exhale longer than you inhale because it’s the exhale that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body down. Breathing long, deep breaths can help manage stress responses which may decrease anxiety, fear, a racing mind, rapid heartbeat, and other stress-related physical feelings.
The Three Deep Breaths Technique
Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose (you can count 1, 2, 3, …)
Exhale slowly and steadily out your mouth; take longer to exhale (count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ...)
Pause
Try it:
Sit comfortably and plant feet firmly on floor (or find a comfortable pose for you)
Close your eyes or have a soft gaze down
Check in on how your body is feeling –notice tightness: forecast, jaw, shoulders, etc.
First Breath:
Exhale all the air out of your lungs
Inhale a slow, deep breath through the nose
Exhale longer: slowly and gently out of your mouth
Pause
Second Breath:
Inhale a slow, deep breath through the nose
Exhale longer: slowly and gently out of your mouth
Pause
Third Breath:
Inhale a slow, deep breath through the nose
Exhale longer: slowly and gently out of your mouth
Pause
Check in with your body again – note those areas that were tense or tight before
How does your body feel now?
How is your thinking, your mind?
Open eyes and come fully back
Kristi challenged us to try this “3 Deep Breaths” technique three times a day for a week and measure how it impacts us. I invite you to try it as well.
About Kristi Stangeland
Kristi is the founder of My ParaVita, a company that helps busy women find balance, wellness, and a sense of achievement in all they do by focusing on peace, power, and play. Kristi spent many years in the corporate world as a CPA for PricewaterhouseCoopers and J.P. Morgan Chase. She left the corporate chaos behind and launched a series of small businesses. With each entrepreneurial success, she found herself taking stock of the lessons learned, both professionally and personally. It soon became clear that her business success was tied to her personal wellness, her self-awareness, and the ability to find balance in her life.
She is acutely aware of the pressures and stresses that women face while trying to build and maintain their careers while also fulfilling their commitments to their families and personal relationships. Kristi helps women create opportunities for success and personal fulfillment with meditation, retreats and feng shui.
You can reach Kristi at www.myparavita.com;
Follow: Instagram: @myparavita