OHM Step #1 ~ BREATHE
Hello sweet friend 🤩
Last week’s blog I shared how I used our 4-step healing method to help me manage my imposter syndrome.
I would like to spend the next 4 blogs exploring each step a little deeper in hopes of showcasing how each step in our 4-step method works with the others to impact our healing journeys for good.
Step 1 is “Breathe"
Breathing is something you do automatically most of the time, without having to think about it. In fact, we inhale and exhale approximately 25,000 times a day! Your breath is not just a source of oxygen for your body; it is also a powerful tool for accessing and balancing your energy. Proper breathing techniques can have a significant impact on your physical and mental health… reducing stress and anxiety, increasing energy levels, and decreasing body pain!
First… let’s look at what happens in the body when it experiences pain 🥴
Did you know that every time you feel physical pain you are holding your breath!
Yup! Every. Single. Time.
Pay attention the next time you perform a movement pattern that causes you pain. For example: putting on a jacket, going up and down the stairs, getting in and out of the car, or getting dressed. Sometimes even the thought of that movement can cause you to hold your breath, because you know what is coming - PAIN!
Usually, as you move through pain and hold your breath… you also groan! All of this holding and groaning causes an energy blockage at the pain site in your body. This translates to a sticking point in the movement pattern, which in turn, translates to painful muscles and joints.
Second... let’s look at what happens in the body when it experiences mental or emotional stress like anxiety
In these stress states, your breathing often becomes faster, shallower, and more irregular as the sympathetic nervous system (the body’s fight-or-flight response) takes over.
When this system dominates, you may experience light-headedness or tingling in your hands and feet due to rapid breathing with short exhalations. Your chest may feel tight, and your voice less steady, because the diaphragm tenses and makes it physically harder to take a full, calming breath.
Short, quick exhales can leave you feeling “out of control” and stuck in stress mode, whereas longer, slower exhales help activate the vagus nerve, a key part of the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” state.
Using your breath with intention can quickly calm the nervous system, helping you shift out of stress and into a more grounded, balanced state. It also strengthens your ability to focus, regulate emotions, and respond to challenges with greater clarity and resilience.
Let’s look at how we can use our breath intentionally; both for body pain and for mental or emotional stress…
BODY PAIN
Here is the simple formula that we have used to help thousands of clients reduce their pain immediately:
You perform a movement pattern, and you feel pain. (listen for the groan)
Stop! Reset the movement (start again from the beginning)
Inhale and fill your body with air
Exhale and perform the movement smoothly and gracefully
Consciously breathing through your movement will dramatically alleviate your immediate pain and over time the energetic blockages will begin to flow again and your pain will subside. It is truly that easy!
EMOTIONAL or MENTAL STRESS
Here is a breath pattern that focuses on having a longer exhale than inhale for the purpose of activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
Box breathing has been proven to be an effective technique to slow down your breath and calm your nervous system. It consists of an inhale for the count of 4, holding while full for the count of 4, exhale for the count of 6 and holding empty for the count of 2:
Sit or lay comfortable… spine nice and long.
Close your eyes (optional).
Inhale 1, 2, 3, 4
Hold 1, 2, 3, 4
Exhale 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Hold 1, 2
Repeat the sequence one more time.
Try at least 6 rounds of this pattern, more if necessary.
Your breath is truly your best ally!
Your breath is always available; it does not cost you a cent & it feels so damn good when you consciously direct it!
Give it a try and unleash your innate potential to heal yourself... one sweet breath at a time! ❤️
We invite you to check out our website… we have some great freebies on our home page that we welcome you to check out.
Next week we will explore Step #2 of OHM (Our Healing Method) … observe.
If you have any questions about anything we share, please connect with us anytime via EMAIL.
Love,
