I went AWOL recently
I meant to email two weeks ago - I was at a fitness convention in Blackpool for the weekend, so I knew I wouldn't be around on the Sunday. But I thought I could get an email written in advance. But in the end I just ran out of time...
That weekend was a lot.
And when I added it in to a month that had already been packed full - with extra work, solo parenting, events and family stuff - I got to Easter Sunday and just felt exhausted!
So I decided to take a step back
I've not been on social media at all either - I've just been doing my classes and the bare minimum I need to to keep my business going
Do you ever get to that stage?
It's all about balance
Rest is not the opposite of work - and we do not have to earn rest
Instead they go hand in hand - we need both
Most of us are too stressed
But there is also such a thing as being too relaxed (can you believe it?!)
When I did my Beyond Meditation masterclass I knew the techniques I was teaching worked and I wouldn't normally do all of them at once
But as I was teaching them all, most people were doing them all
The upshot of which was...
...One person slept for 12 hours straight!
...Another was still so relaxed the next morning that she wasn't really bothered with work!
So we're looking for balance between the two - so that our bodies are rested and not dealing with unremitting stress, but that we still have energy and focus for the things we need to do
My balance was definitely off during March so I'm having a few more go slow days
And I have taken more moments in my day to focus on slowing my breathing down
One of the things I used to do during lockdown but had forgotten about was a breath hold technique - I was reminded of it at the convention
- just breathe in and out normally
- after your breath out, pinch your nose
- hold your breath for about a count of 5
- breathe in normally (if you have to gasp, you've held on for too long)
- breathe normally for 10-15 seconds
- then repeat the hold again
- repeat for 4 rounds
The good thing about this style of breathing is that it is BALANCED - your breathing will slow, which helps with stress. But the hold after a breath out is stimulating - so it actually gives you more oxygen to the brain and gives you more focus. So it's a great one to do during the day
A few days of this and my sleep has now improved and my stress levels are down (according to my tracker)
Which isn't surprising, as there is a strong connection between breathing, sleep and your mind
So give it a go and let me know how you get on!
"Whenever you focus on your breath, nothing can steal your peace.
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