It is a fast-paced world that we live in today, plagued with economic, social, and personal pressures all around us, invading our minds as stress, anxiety, fear, and fog.
The result is we are often left with the feeling of inability to relax or even cope with regular day-to-day pressures that are a normal part of life.
Breath Work
Fortunately, the holistic movement have been doing an excellent job of promoting this ancient health hack. Even medical professionals have been on board for a long time and essentially recognise the benefits of breath work. It is common knowledge these days that to breath slower, deeper and more consciously we can become instantly calmer and negate the effects of stress, hyper tension and anxiety and other such like health challenges.
What is really happening when we breath deeper?
When I trained as a meditation teacher back in 2024 in India at a yoga retreat set in the mountains, I was astonished that I had not come across the information that I learnt while I was out there. When we breath deeply, our whole body is affected positively. The nervous system, all the organs, the brain, muscles and blood cells improve and begin to function more efficiently. It is said that by practising breath work techniques on a daily basis we maintain our health daily – staying more mentally focused and physically stronger.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of having awareness of and being present in the very moment of our existence. Originating from Buddhist traditions, it is a form of meditation that has been rigorously researched and evidenced to show that it can reduce stress levels dramatically when practiced regularly.
As much as we may or may not want to, we cannot enter a time machine and change or freeze the past. If it is a painful past, many people, relive this past again and again, thus reliving the very same pain, over and over. By staying stuck here in their minds it often feels impossible to have the capacity to move on and start enjoying the present, even though the past is now over. The same can be said of the future. As much as we may like to know, we cannot ever be certain of the future.
As countless people have discovered over the past twenty-five years, mindfulness is the most reliable source of peace and joy. Anyone can do it. And it’s become increasingly clear that not only our health and well being as individuals, but our continuation as a civilization and a planet depend on it.
Thich Nhat Nah, (2013)
We cannot even be certain of the next five minutes let alone the next five years! Anything can happen to anyone at any time – how many times have we heard this saying? Yet we choose to ignore it and stay either brooding about the past or imagining the future which is not even here yet. We should not live in the past or the future. By being present in the here and now we can certainly try and determine our futures by releasing ourselves of past or future stresses and acting and behaving in ways that help us right now.
By doing this, we can assess what it is that we need right now? We can clear our minds from the mud that has built up from everyday stress and tension to allow a clear picture to be formed of what we need. The essence of this ancient art of living is that to appreciate and cultivate this very moment, we have to open our minds and eyes to it first. To see the beauty of the present is to live in the moment itself.
How breath work can help children in schools
In the BEARS Technique, I have incorporated elements of breath work and mindfulness so that children can regulate their physical and mental states quickly and easily. When whole classrooms are doing the techniques at the same time for only one minute at a time, good habits begin to be created for long lasting effects. Children need to understand that although not all troubles will disappear completely, their response and coping mechanisms will be far more advanced than before by understanding how breath and being mindful can help. Children can feel more in control, making for a happier life both inside and outside the classroom.
Common Benefits of Breath work & Mindfulness
- Control emotions
- Control anxiety
- Control depression
- Experience well-being and happiness
- Feel calm and relaxed about life’s pressures
What my clients say
By practising mindfulness, I feel much calmer and in control of my life.
By practising mindfulness, I now control my anxiety attacks easily.
