WOW!

It is rare that I am speechless but as I sit down to write this week’s newsletter I am speechless.

How do we begin to make sense of all that is happening around us? We cannot. And that sense of senselessness and uncertainty causes us stress and reactivity.

Enter this week’s replay.

I thought this week’s podcast, Master Deep Breathing Techniques to Manage Stress and Reactivity, was timely when it was first released, but am realizing that it is even more relevant now.

The uncertainty around us – political upheaval, inflation, war – is a form of stress, even if we are not actively engaged with it. And stress triggers our nervous system to react.

We are hardwired to respond to stress quickly in order to get out of harm’s way. But that reactivity over the long-term negatively impacts our mental health, our physical health and trickles into our relationships, into our work, and into our day to day lives leaving a trail of toxicity wherever it lands.

When we don’t find a way to regulate our relationship with that stress, we risk burnout, anxiety, and depression. We increase our risk of hypertension, heart attacks and stroke. And we risk turning outside ourselves to harmful coping mechanisms like food, and alcohol among others.

The good news is that we have tools to help mitigate stress and manage our reactivity so that we can act from a place of intention, rather than fear.

These tools have been around for ages, are part of ancient practices and wisdom and have been proven scientifically to help protect our mental health and our body from disease.

So this week, I want to return to breathing; a topic I’ve discussed in prior podcasts, but return to it with a different lens. Having recently trained in trauma mitigation tools, I have been doubling down on my own use of mind body practices that help cultivate a sense of ease and well being in times of stress. And you know what? I’m practicing with my patients as well. I have been so moved by how impactful this practice has been for them, I have decided to share them with you as well!

Breathing is one of the most simple and underutilized practices available to us. With just several deep breaths we are able to dial back the “fight or flight” part of our nervous system and turn on the rest and relax.

Within seconds to minutes, a deep breathing practice will:

• slow down the heart rate,

• dilate the blood vessels reducing blood pressure

• restore digestion

• reduce mental noise and clear brain fog

• bring about a sense of ease and well-being that loops around the body again and again and again.

But don’t take my word for it. Give yourself the opportunity to experience it!

Head over to this week’s HealthBite podcast where I share the science of how a deep breathing practice will help you manage your reactivity and I will personally lead you thru a breathing practice myself, step by step by step.

I have been told that I have a soothing voice , I wonder if you agree?

I hope you find some comfort in this week’s episode. I know I did!

And I look forward to seeing you here next week with fresh perspectives following a long stint of travel!

You can listen to the whole episode here.