Monday, October 18, 2010

Just breathe

As a busy mom of 2 goregous kids, I often find myself feeling stressed irritable, quick to snap at any small thing and at times just plain frustrated. Now I know this is what most moms feel and if you haven't felt it than I envy you. It is normal to have these feelings, in fact, it's okay to have these feelings. I suppose it's how we handle and move on that makes the difference. So here's my suggestion.... Just breathe.
A few days ago I went to a training session with my trainer. He started off the session with having me stand upright with limbs and muscles feeling relaxed. He instructed me to breathe. Now that may sound like an easy feat but in fact to do it properly and to get the most out of it you need to be focused and relaxed. I began with rather shallow breaths but eventually was able to breathe into my belly and then out again. While I did this I felt a sense of calm erupt all over my body. My focus was in gear and every muscle in my body became numb. This exercise went on for probably less than 5 minutes but it felt like a 1/2 hr. I left that session with a strange yet calm aura around me. I found myself throughout the day being much more aware of my breathing and the feeling I got from it.
So this morning I woke up, looked at my kids, and thought to myself "today I need to put a few minutes aside to just breathe". At 9am, I stood in the middle of my living room and breathed. I let all my inhibitions sway away while I took breaths in and breaths out. As I did this, I felt more and more like I didn't want it to end. I just wanted to remain in this serene spot for as long as possible. So, I did this for as long as my kids gave me before the ever familiar "MOOOOMMMMMMM" came out of their mouths. When I opened my eyes I felt calm. Relaxed. Clear.
I have read quite a bit over the last 2 years about "being in the now" and how taking the time to breathe is so important to remaining focused. It transcends all your thoughts into one funnel which slowly seeves through all the thoughts of what needs to be done, who needs to be called and which emails need to be answered. Breathing and focusing on each breathe and how it travels through your nose and into your body, when done well, erases all other thoughts you may have had. When done well, you almost have a feeling of revival and rejuvenation.
So when I finished my little exercise, I quite simply, felt better. Now did I still get stressed throughout the day. Yes. Did I shout at my daughter for pouring water all over the floor. Yes. But what I didn't do was let it stress me out. I just took a deep breathe, focused on now and moved on.
So why not wake up tomorrow. Look into the mirror and Breathe. Just breathe that's all. Take those few moments to clear your mind and just breathe.