This is the third of 4 teachings that started to manifest when I was walking through the magical land of old wisdom in East Canada.
The Christmas time often appears as the most hectic time of the year. We might feel the responsibity to hold up other people’s expectations and with the rush and the mind being with others more than ourselves, we forget to breathe. On the other hand, when walking through the forest it is easy to smell the fresh air, feel the life around us and to take a deep breath. No matter the temperatur or season, the breaths are refreshing for the body and soul.
As soon as we reach the next road we tend to forget that part and start to think of our shopping list for Christmas or how late we are to pick up the kids from school.
As we go through the ups and downs from this time of year, we can feel our nervous system turning on the alertness and it can become increasingly hard to relax. To be able to maintain our health and our sanity throughout this time, it is imparative to breathe. Our nerves and brain need oxygen and the space to relax every now and then, to keep up a balanced function. If you find yourself in a situation like this, where you feel like you keep running from A to B and are finding it harder to have a stress tolerance, then I ask you to hold in there and recenter yourself. Sure, it is improtant to manage the daily cores but not to the cost of holding your breath for hours on end while rushing around. As you might have heard before: slowing down your actions, will increase your focus and make therefore your efforts much more effective.
You might ask yourself: How do I maintain a slow pace, alongside a busy schedule?
This is where the forest teaches us: We have to remember to take deep breaths throughout the day. Nature grows, works and searches for food and nutrition sources almost 24/7 and is achieving an incredible result in growing and thriving. When we take this lesson to heart, set ourselves reminders to take a deep breath every now and then, we can thrive while working down to do lists and getting all tasks done. It will not only make this time of year more achievable, it will also keep your healthier, physically and mentally.
Exercise
This exercise is designed to help you integrate the habit of taking deep breaths into your busy everyday lives.
If you find it difficult to remember to take deep breaths throughout the day, then you can try
the following: set yourself landmarks or situations as a reminder. For example: if you are driving a lot, then take a deep breath everytike before starting the engine, on every red traffic light, before leaving the car. If you are working from home: take a deep breath in every beginning and end of a long phone call, when you wait for the next coffee to be ready or kettle to boil, and every time you sit down in your chair again before working.
This will create habits that will enable you to keep breathing throughout the day, no matter how busy your schedule is.
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