If you want to feel more
serene and focused, try breathing! For thousands of years,
people have used the breath to be more mindful and relaxed.
Breathing is easy to control because we do it all the time.
Here are some ways to reduce stress and become more
peaceful.
Several times during the day, notice
your breathing. This helps to remind you to breathe deeply
and fully.
Try counting your breaths. In
some Kundalini yoga meditations, you count up silently as you
inhale and down as you exhale.
Change the
rhythm of your breath. Pause for a count of a few seconds
after inhaling and again after exhaling. This little rest
helps calm shaky nerves and reduce anxiety.
Alison Finney is a certified hatha and kundalini
yoga teacher in Ottawa. She is registered with the Yoga
Alliance and the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers
Association and is the founder of PranaShanti, a health and
yoga resource. For more information, visit www.pranashanti.com.
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