Day Twenty-One: Take A Deep Breath
Breathing is the strongest way we experience a symbiotic relationship with the Wild. We experience reciprocity in the form of the oxygen we breathe in and the carbon dioxide we breathe out. When we breathe in oxygen into our lungs, carbon bonds to the oxygen creating the carbon dioxide we exhale out. Plants breathe in this carbon dioxide, break the carbon away, and in turn, release oxygen which we breathe back in. In order for all of us to continue living, we exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide back and forth between one another all of the time. We both cannot survive without this beautiful and perfect relationship.
Breathing is an essential piece for our environment’s survival but also our own every day health. We are breathing all the time but do we know how well we are breathing? Are we taking deep enough breaths or are we just walking around in a state of shallow breathing all the time? According to Harvard Health “shallow breathing hobbles the diaphragm's range of motion. The lowest portion of the lungs — which is where many small blood vessels instrumental in carrying oxygen to cells reside — never gets a full share of oxygenated air. That can make you feel short of breath and anxious. Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange — that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, this type of breathing slows the heartbeat and can lower or stabilize blood pressure.” Deep breathing is one of the easiest, most convenient, and natural tools we have that can relieve issues like stress and anxiety, reduce pain, high blood pressure and even aid in digestion.
Meditation: Listen to this meditation: Breath Journey by Elyse Leren
Activity: Deep breathing in nature exercise. Find a place in nature where you are able to sit comfortable for at least 20 minutes. Feel free to bring a blanket to lay on or a pad to sit on. You will want to be comfortable.
Deep Breathing
Breath Focus
Write in your journal the following:
Share: Share how you felt after this activity in the Facebook group.
Affirmation: Recite the following affirmation out loud: “I am breathing in the life the plants and trees around me has given as a gift. I return the gift by exhaling life back to them. I acknowledge this beautiful reciprocity between us”
Go back to:
Introduction
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day Ten
Day Eleven
Day Twelve
Day Thirteen
Day Fourteen
Day Fifteen
Day Sixteen
Day Seventeen
Day Eighteen
Day Nineteen
Day Twenty
Breathing is an essential piece for our environment’s survival but also our own every day health. We are breathing all the time but do we know how well we are breathing? Are we taking deep enough breaths or are we just walking around in a state of shallow breathing all the time? According to Harvard Health “shallow breathing hobbles the diaphragm's range of motion. The lowest portion of the lungs — which is where many small blood vessels instrumental in carrying oxygen to cells reside — never gets a full share of oxygenated air. That can make you feel short of breath and anxious. Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange — that is, the beneficial trade of incoming oxygen for outgoing carbon dioxide. Not surprisingly, this type of breathing slows the heartbeat and can lower or stabilize blood pressure.” Deep breathing is one of the easiest, most convenient, and natural tools we have that can relieve issues like stress and anxiety, reduce pain, high blood pressure and even aid in digestion.
Meditation: Listen to this meditation: Breath Journey by Elyse Leren
Activity: Deep breathing in nature exercise. Find a place in nature where you are able to sit comfortable for at least 20 minutes. Feel free to bring a blanket to lay on or a pad to sit on. You will want to be comfortable.
Deep Breathing
- Get comfortable. You can lie on your back or you can sit on the ground with your shoulders, head, and neck supported against the back of a tree, wall, rock, or other support.
- Breathe in through your nose. Let your belly fill with air.
- Breathe out through your nose.
- Place your hand on your belly. Place the other hand on your chest, over your heart.
- As you breathe in, feel your belly rise and fill with air. As you breathe out, feel your belly shrink. The hand on your belly should move more than the one that's on your chest. If your hand on your chest is moving more, try taking slower and deeper breaths focusing on that air going to your belly. Take three to five more full, deep breaths.
- Breathe fully into your belly as it rises and falls with each breath you take.
Breath Focus
- While you do deep breathing, use a picture in your mind and imagine your exhales giving life to the plants and trees around you. .
- Close your eyes.
- Take a few big, deep breaths.
- Breathe in. As you do that, imagine that the air is filled with a sense of peace and calm. Try to feel it throughout your body.
- Breathe out. While you're doing it, imagine that the air leaves with life for the plants and trees around you.
- Continue for at least 20 minutes.
Write in your journal the following:
- How did you feel after the deep breathing exercise was over?
- Were you able to envision your exhale breathing life into the plants around you?
- Did any emotions come up during your deep breathing?
Share: Share how you felt after this activity in the Facebook group.
Affirmation: Recite the following affirmation out loud: “I am breathing in the life the plants and trees around me has given as a gift. I return the gift by exhaling life back to them. I acknowledge this beautiful reciprocity between us”
Go back to:
Introduction
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Day Four
Day Five
Day Six
Day Seven
Day Eight
Day Nine
Day Ten
Day Eleven
Day Twelve
Day Thirteen
Day Fourteen
Day Fifteen
Day Sixteen
Day Seventeen
Day Eighteen
Day Nineteen
Day Twenty