Calabasas Psychotherapy – Self-care and a mindful breath- inhale then exhale
Self-care simply starts by taking a mindful breath, inhale then exhale. While this may sound like a cliché, it is true. It is not only true, it is simple. Yes, simple. With every breath, you are making a mindful decision that you want to live. Making a decision that you want to live is self-care. Mindful breath awareness supports our mind, body, and spirit.
I am sure you are aware of the good old saying, “If I don’t take care of myself, I am no good to anyone else.” Well, this is about as true as it gets. But, easier said than done, right? Not necessarily. I don’t believe that anyone does not truly want to take care of oneself; instead I believe that one may just not know how. When you don’t know how to do something, what do you do? You learn and practice and learn and practice and so on… Start to visualize what self-care even means to you. Did you take a breath while you read this post? If not, then stop and take a mindful breath-inhale then exhale-now.
Take another mindful breath inhale then exhale. Doesn’t that feel good? Breathing brings oxygen to the brain. Breathing is the only way to supply our body and its various organs with oxygen. When you are anxious, afraid, or stressed, your muscles become tight and your breathing gets shallow. Shallow breathing limits the amount of oxygen your body needs. So again, when you breathe and your brain receives oxygen; it actually releases tension, relaxes the mind and body, and brings clarity, just to name a few. Self care starts by breathing-inhale then exhale.
You took so many breaths while you read this post. You actually took a step in self-care by breathing. Now I just want you to try this for your next mindful breath:
- Breathe IN through your nose like you are smelling a flower
- Breathe OUT through your mouth like you are blowing out a candle.
Now, do it again but this time try it for three to five seconds:
- Breath IN through your nose while counting (in your mind) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Breath OUT through your mouth while counting (in your mind) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
You did it. You consciously brought your attention and awareness to sensations of breathing. Practice self-care today by becoming more mindful of your breathing-inhale then exhale..
For more teachings on mindful breathing click on this link and review Mindfulness and DBT
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