Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/992435
A B M P m e m b e r s e a r n F R E E C E a t w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e b y r e a d i n g M a s s a g e & B o d y w o r k m a g a z i n e 29 Double bonus: inject this into your bodywork practice when you and your client encounter an intense area of restriction or holding. While you are adding pressure, coach your client to "inhale and inflate into that space." As they exhale, invite them to "imagine any pain, tension, or stress exiting the area and out their entire body." Repeat for about three cycles, and notice the positive shift in your clients' ability to let go. REFRESH WITH THE RESET BREATH Conscious breathing pioneer Gay Hendricks advocates the following breathing practice to optimize several of the scientifically validated benefits of conscious breathing, like reduced anxiety and depression, lowered blood pressure, feeling less stressed and overwhelmed, increased energy levels, and encouraged muscle relaxation. 3 Because many people do not take full inhalations (think chest breathers) and do not exhale fully, a tremendous amount of CO 2 stays trapped in our pleura and our body. This excess CO 2 concentration leads to higher blood acidity and the age-related wear and tear associated with oxidation. To prevent this metaphorical rusting of our body, utilize the Reset Breath to balance your pH, avoid getting sick, and powerfully presence yourself. 1. Enjoy a few easy diaphragmatic breaths (as described above). 2. Next, inhale through your nose and gently exhale out your mouth. It's essential not to hold your breath at the top of the inhalation and likewise exhale in a smooth, easy way. 3. After you exhale all of your air out, hold your breath out, without tightening any muscles, for one or more heartbeats. Just before your body would tense to reach for more breath, gently inhale through your nose and exhale as you enjoy a few transitional diaphragmatic breaths. 4. When you're ready again, repeat steps 1–3 for about 2 minutes. You just infused your bloodstream with higher levels of oxygen and created inner alchemy! 4 SHARE THE GIFT We take 960 breaths an hour, 23,040 a day, 8,409,600 a year, and approximately half a billion breaths in a lifetime. 5 That means we have over 20,000 opportunities every day to start fresh and presence ourselves. With every inhale, we can choose to invite what we want more of, and with every exhale we can let go of something we no longer need. It's an evolutionary and revolutionary act to share the gift of conscious breathing with our family, friends, and clients. As an LMT, you are an example of evolutionary well-being, as you offer hope, care, and possibilities to every person you touch! We encourage you to incorporate conscious breathing into every session and every day, so you feel good while giving, and so your clients, friends, and family feel good in the receiving of your touch, inspiration, and presence. We'll take a deep breath into that! Ahhhhhh ... Notes 1. Gay Hendricks, Conscious Breathing: Breathwork for Health, Stress Release, and Personal Mastery (New York: Bantam, 1995). 2. Dennis Lewis, The Tao of Natural Breathing: For Health, Well-Being, and Inner Growth (Berkeley: Rodmell Press, 2006). 3. Sheila Patel, "Breathing for Life: The Mind-Body Healing Benefits of Pranayama," The Chopra Center, accessed May 2018, www.chopra.com/articles/ breathing-for-life-the-mind-body-healing-benefits-of- pranayama. 4. The Hendricks Institute, "The Breathing Coach: Two Essential Practices for Vibrance and Harmony," accessed May 2018, www.hendricks.com/ breathingcoach. 5. Walker Meade, "Every Breath You Take," Herald Tribune, January 12, 2010, accessed May 2018, www. heraldtribune.com/article/20100112/ARTICLE/1121008. Heath and Nicole Reed are co-founders of Living Metta (living "loving kindness") and want everyone in the world to enjoy the experience of befriending their body. The Reeds lead workshops and retreats across the country and overseas, including Thailand and Mexico, and have been team-teaching touch and movement therapy for 16 years. In addition to live classes, the Reeds offer massage therapy and self-care videos, DVDs, and online trainings, which may be found online at www.livingmetta.com. Breathing is intimately connected to our physical and emotional state and vice versa. In other words, when we change how we breathe, we change how we feel.