New Techniques in Weight Management

Mindful breathing

Part 1

Prioritize taking a short pause during a busy time in your day. When we are busy or stressed, we tend to forget to breathe deeply. Now more than ever, we should focus on the benefits of deep breathing, which promotes stress relief.

Take a Full Five Minutes just for Your care. Yes, 5 minutes is all it takes. You might want to have this page handy for reference to get you started each time. Go ahead and try it right now.

• Set aside All other priorities and activities. It’s okay: they will still be there when you finish. Sit
  somewhere comfortable, where you won’t be disturbed. Do what you need to do to truly relax (Go to the bathroom? Shut the door? Let the dog out/in? Let someone know you’re taking a short break?). Consider earplugs or a headset if it helps you focus away from ambient sounds/noise (choose silence or very relaxing music with no lyrics).
• Aim to concentrate fully on nothing but the simplicity of your mindful breathing for a full 5 minutes. Turn off your phone and set it aside. Or, if it helps you to relax more fully, set a vibration-only timer alarm on
  your cell phone, put the phone in do-not-disturb otherwise mode, and set it nearby.
• Close your mouth softly (if you wish, touch your tongue tip lightly on the roof of your mouth just behind your top, front teeth, to give it somewhere to rest).
• Now Breathe through your nose. Feel it come in. Feel your body expand. Feel it go out. Be patient. Relax into it. Allow your breath to deepen. Down into your belly. Let your body expand a bit more with the inflow of this life force. Don’t rush or force it. Let the breath flow on its own. With ease.
• As you begin to relax, take a minute to scan your body lovingly. Relax any taut muscles. Relax your belly. Relax your anus. Sit up straight. But allow your shoulders to relax and lower.
• Realize gently that You. Are. Alive. You are a blessing. At this moment, there is Nowhere to go. Nothing to do. Just Be. And breathe.
• Now close your eyes. And let this natural, powerful reset change you in just a few minutes.
  

Just a few minutes a day to decrease your stress level, which also aids in weight management in the long term.

Stay tuned for part 2!
Mie