Breathe to Cool Down
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Breathe to Cool Down
There is no getting around some things – sweltering summer heat for example, or being stuck somewhere we would rather not be. What happens in our lives simply cannot be made to behave exactly the way we would like all of the time, or even very much of the time! Of course far more cruel and unfair things happen besides high temperatures or living somewhere you don’t want to for a few months. Part of being human is learning how to heal old hurts, and how to best respond to fresh challenges.
Whether we get thrown off balance or find a cooler way of handling such things depends largely on the state of our nervous system. Your nervous system – including the spinal cord, the brain and all the nerves in your body – has a huge influence not just on how the brain communicates with the rest of the body, making sure all the different aspects of the body work in harmony; it also has a massive impact on how you feel and your mood and outlook. So if you can do anything helpful for the nervous system, you will really be doing something for the quality of your life.
The nervous system controls things like heart rate and sweating. It does this without us needing to be aware. Breathing is also usually controlled automatically this way. The magical thing about breathing is that it works the other way too: control your breath and you change your nervous system.
Tuning into the breath and gently allowing each breath to lengthen allows the body to rest, to cool down, and to heal. You can explore this with a simple breathing exercise.
Place your hands on your lower belly. Breathe in and out. Notice any movement. Explore for 5 breaths.
Rest your hands on your lower ribs. Feel them move outwards and inwards. Explore for 5 breaths.
Bring your hands onto your upper chest. Feel the rise and fall. Take 5 breaths here.
Notice each movement from belly to upper chest as you breathe in and out for 5 more breaths.
There is no getting around some things – sweltering summer heat for example, or being stuck somewhere we would rather not be. What happens in our lives simply cannot be made to behave exactly the way we would like all of the time, or even very much of the time! Of course far more cruel and unfair things happen besides high temperatures or living somewhere you don’t want to for a few months. Part of being human is learning how to heal old hurts, and how to best respond to fresh challenges.
Whether we get thrown off balance or find a cooler way of handling such things depends largely on the state of our nervous system. Your nervous system – including the spinal cord, the brain and all the nerves in your body – has a huge influence not just on how the brain communicates with the rest of the body, making sure all the different aspects of the body work in harmony; it also has a massive impact on how you feel and your mood and outlook. So if you can do anything helpful for the nervous system, you will really be doing something for the quality of your life.
The nervous system controls things like heart rate and sweating. It does this without us needing to be aware. Breathing is also usually controlled automatically this way. The magical thing about breathing is that it works the other way too: control your breath and you change your nervous system.
Tuning into the breath and gently allowing each breath to lengthen allows the body to rest, to cool down, and to heal. You can explore this with a simple breathing exercise.
Place your hands on your lower belly. Breathe in and out. Notice any movement. Explore for 5 breaths.
Rest your hands on your lower ribs. Feel them move outwards and inwards. Explore for 5 breaths.
Bring your hands onto your upper chest. Feel the rise and fall. Take 5 breaths here.
Notice each movement from belly to upper chest as you breathe in and out for 5 more breaths.
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