Many of us don’t breathe right.
We have taken our breathing for granted because it happens for us automatically.
An insane amount of study and research has gone into this.
This is no longer some woo-woo from the meditation gurus. Lot’s of hardcore scientists have studied and written about our breathing and how it affects our state of mind and our ability to accomplish things.
The bottom line of all this is we breathe to shallow. Almost like we are holding our breath.
One of my favorite mentors Dr. Gay Hendricks has a quote from one of his books:
“There’s only one way to get through the fog of fear, and that’s to transform it into the clarity of exhilaration. One of the greatest pieces of wisdom I’ve ever heard comes from Fritz Perls, MD, the psychiatrist and founder of Gestalt Therapy. He said,
‘Fear is excitement without the breath.’
Here’s what this intriguing statement means:
The very same mechanisms that produce excitement also produce fear, and any fear can be transformed into excitement by breathing fully with it. On the other hand, excitement turns into fear quickly if you hold your breath.
When scared, most of us have a tendency to try to get rid of the feeling. We think we can get rid of it by denying or ignoring it, and we use holding our breath as a physical tool of denial…take big, easy breaths when you feel fear. Feel the fear instead of pretending it’s not there.”
So how can we use this in our quest to quit or reduce sugar in our lives?
I think if we are all honest – and honesty is what we are striving for in our quest to know our bodies and emotions as they relate to sugar –
I believe that the primary stumbling block in accomplishing any goal is fear.
It’s fear of failing, FOMO – fear of missing out – on something and quite honestly fear of success.
The fear that comes with being responsible, being beautiful – with being brilliant, successful and accomplished. With that comes responsibility.
I don’t know about you but responsibility always scared me.
You’d have to have that conversation with your kids or your spouse. The one where you say you need a little help in this and other similar scary things.
So how do you use your breath to walk through your fears?
We all know about meditation and I’ve written extensively about it. I meditate daily and it has changed my life.
Today I’m going to teach you the easiest trick or life hack there is that will give you the biggest bang for your buck.
This little exercise needs to be your “go to” when things go sideways as they always do in life.
Be it intense cravings, withdrawals or any other life feeling that feels overwhelming.
This baby starts in bed. Seriously.
Both when you’re just going to sleep and when you’re waking up.
You’ll want to consciously take deep breaths and concentrate on those breaths. Visualize the breath going in and out. If thoughts come just let them pass and don’t focus on them. Breath through your nose. Take very deep breaths so you can almost feel your lungs pop and exhale slowly.
At night this is excellent for lulling you to sleep in a peaceful state. In the morning if you just jump up and hit the bathroom and then jump back in your warm bed and do this it will start your day in an awesome centering way.
The big bonus comes when you wake up in the middle of the night with worries and anxieties.
Do the exact same thing. It will clear your mind of the worries and usually guide you back to sleep.
It also can serve as an anchor during the day.
When you’re overwhelmed just sit quietly for a few minutes and do the exact same thing. Remember that safe, warm place you have created under your covers and it usually melts the stress away.
Give this a try. Learn everything you can about your breathing and how we limit our breath, hold it almost, as a reaction to fear, worry, and stress.
Then learn to breathe deeply, with intent, and I know you’ll see a big change in how you feel.
Do this in tandem with you sugar reduction/abstinence and you quickly get a whole new lease on life. Quit Sugar Now.
You know I have your back on any way you wanna play this quit sugar deal.
No need to become a meditation guru. Just a few tricks and tips you didn’t know before (this is not a knowledge issue) and you can succeed this time. Quit Sugar Now.
