Quiz

Win your challenges with our unique solutions

Want solutions to the problems that keep you awake at night? That’s where Karmic Ally Coaching helps you create breakthroughs with customized radical and innovative solutions to issues that are keeping you stuck in a rut in the shortest time possible. Believe it or not, even high achievers hit roadblocks in their careers or on their journey to creating a business that expresses their Soul’s Vision and Purpose. Every transformation requires a willingness to accept change. Are you ready to embrace change? Find out with Karmic Ally Coaching's special quiz - Fearing Change or Confident to Win Challenges!
 

Breathe and Meditate to Manage Stress

This post has already been read 2256 times!

breath work and meditation for stress management

Does Stress Make You Into a Fire-breathing Dragon?

 

Be honest, don’t you get irritated when you’re stressed out, and a friend, parent or partner tells us to take a deep breath or count to ten?

Actually it does work, you know.

At some point of time each one of us has done the deep breathing or counting to ten or even twenty before blowing off steam like Fred Flintstone.

Unless one is having a bout of asthma or is wheezing after climbing 3 flights of stairs in poor health, and other breathless activities, we often don’t pay much attention to it.

Apart from keeping us alive, proper breathing is essential when exercising, doing yoga or preparing for meditation. Proper breathing provides adequate amounts of oxygen to the body reducing the fight or flight response when faced with stress or panic.

For any practitioner of meditation, the first step is to strengthen the connection between mind and body.

The first stage of meditation is to remove distractions and make your mind clear and calm. This can be accomplished by practicing a simple breathing exercise.

 

Simple breathing exercise to clear your mind of distractions

The nutshell version of the breath exercise:

 

 

The detailed version of the breathing exercise

First select a quiet place to meditate and sit in a comfortable position. You can sit in the traditional cross-legged posture or in any other position that is comfortable. If you wish, sit in a chair. The important thing is to be comfortable.

Make the experience more enjoyable by creating an atmosphere conducive for meditation by lighting incense or using an aroma burner with your favorite aroma oil.  

Sit with your eyes closed and focus your attention on your breathing. Breathe naturally, through the nostrils and out of the mouth.

Do not try to control your breath. Focus on the sensations you feel as the breath enters and leaves your body. This sensation is your object of meditation.

In the beginning you might find your mind wandering off in which case gently bring your focus back to your breathing. Repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles and focuses on the breath. Followed regularly, you will start to feel rejuvenated.

 

Don’t be surprised if you start to fall asleep after the meditation.

It is your body’s way of telling you that there has been too much stress and emotions bottled up and with the release comes relaxation.

You will notice that your thinking becomes clearer and more capable of handling stressors without resorting to the deep breath technique. This is something that I noticed in the early days of practicing Transcendental Meditation.

Even though breathing meditation is only a preliminary stage of meditation, it can be quite powerful.

 

Do you practice meditation or do breathing exercises? What difference has it made to your health and general well-being? 

To know more about meditation as a tool for stress management, please click on the Link to read my post titled Meditation as a Tool for Stress Management.

Looking for a robust self-solution to managing your stress levels? I’ve got you covered!

 

 

 

Get your chakra balancing for stress management ebook + bonus chart now

 

 

Written by: Vatsala Shukla

 

8 Responses to “Breathe and Meditate to Manage Stress”

  1. Heather says:

    Stopping to take a breath is so important as needed. It can give you a moment to think and to release any stress or negativity you feel and give you a moment to just be. Meditation is helpful to me in many ways it not only relaxes the mind and body but I like to pray before I meditate many times and allow my mind and body to absorb my thoughts as they reach out to my higher self and the divine as well as within. Brings me peace and clarity.

    • Karmic Ally says:

      That’s a lovely practice, Heather. Thank you for sharing it. I like to do grounding exercises before meditation to keep me focused.

  2. Love this topic Vatsala! Its a needed one too 🙂 Stress is the number one trigger for so many physical and emotional diseases today. Management with something as simple as breath is information all need to be aware of.

    • Karmic Ally says:

      I agree with you Zeenat. I’ve had colleagues turn diabetic with no family history of the condition thanks to stress and friends who’ve had heart attacks because they allowed work overloads and the related stress to take control of their lives. Self-care and nurturing mental wellness is important.

  3. Barbara Parcells says:

    Just recently saw a video about people that have used breath work to master physical pain as well as stress. It’s amazing stuff!

    • Karmic Ally says:

      It absolutely is, Barb. If you get a chance, you must read or watch Jonathan Goldman’s works on humming for pain and health management. I have tried it and breath work with humming does provide relief.

  4. Laura Joseph says:

    I incorporate meditation every day as well as mindfulness meditation. Although, I understand your analogy with fire breathing dragon, I sometimes call in the fire breathing dragon to empower me, shield me, guide me, to give me strength and burn away any obstacles stuck in the mind and body.

    Everyone should learn to meditate. Thank you for sharing this with us.

    • Karmic Ally says:

      I fully understand using the assistance of the fire breathing dragon in meditation, Laura. I use the Violet Flame meditation to achieve a similar result. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

Meet your coach

I believe the world would be a better place if high achieving professionals accepted setbacks and challenges to their careers as Wake Up Calls to embark on a Journey where their empowered course correcting actions create a New World Order that encompasses achieving their career aspirations & potential with authentic life balance.

If you’re a driven, passionate, talented and ambitious professional  who’s hit a speed breaker in your business or career and want to create your desired breakthrough to reclaim control of your situation, then you’ve come to the right place because we can work together on customized strategies and tactics that deliver results.

When my clients first reach out to me, they are not in a very happy place, needing clarity about themselves, their desires, chosen vocation and what will give them peace of mind. They are drawn to me for the very reasons that I highlight in Who Is Karmic Ally Coaching.

Lack of recognition at work, inability to project themselves with confidence and frustration are just some of their professional problems that are playing havoc with other areas of their life. They know they need to take radical steps to change the status quo but they also know they need support and accountability to get them their desired result.

I really get it, because I’ve experienced that dark night of the Soul. I know firsthand the outcome of getting lost in my work rationalizing decisions that were detrimental to other aspects of my life.

Like you, I’ve struggled with and won battles of stress management, corporate politics, life balance and career decisions to emerge in a place where I can confidently say that I live my desired life according to my personal Manifesto and have created a business that provides me with a platform for my desired lifestyle and self-expression for myself. I want that for you too!

I adhere to the Certified Coaches Alliance Code of Ethics and Standards. A copy is available on request.
1st place BCB 2012
Email: Vatsala(at)karmicallycoaching(dot)com Phone:91 9818517664
error: Content is protected !!