Breathing and Bubbling
I can only imagine what peoples' faces look like reading the title of this post!! Breathing is pretty self-explanatory (if not, check your pulse and if it's there go read my last post!). Bubbling however, may have you a little confused. It is just a simple term for putting yourself in a "bubble" of protection so that other peoples energy does not effect you. Alone, these are just two boring "b" words your preschooler may be learning ... together they are tools that you can consciously use to control how you manage stress and your emotions everyday.
Breathe.
As you may have read in my initial blog, many of us do not take the time to sit down and breathe. On top of that, we have gotten into the habit of not breathing properly! As my husband said, "breathing is kind of an automatic thing and I'm pretty sure I've gotten the hang of by now, or I'd be dead!" Yes breathing is an involuntary, subconscious action (this is where my husbands' thought process stops). However, it is also one we can consciously control at any given moment and change the way we breathe; fast and shallow, deep and slow or even holding our breath until we pass out and unconsciously start breathing again (thankfully!).
The technique of "deep breathing" can not only cause a calming affect, reduction of stress and an energy boost, but can also physically lower blood pressure and heart rate. I once read someone describe conscious breathing as a "self management tool hiding in plain sight". I love this description because it once again validates how much control we have over our bodies, and subsequently our lives, and don't even know it. The following deep breathing technique is so simple that it can be done 50 times a day when you live with a toddler, and so quick that your boss won't even notice you doing it at your desk in an attempt to avoid throwing the stapler at his head!!
1. Sit comfortably with your back straight (either in a chair with your feet flat on the floor or one the floor with your legs crossed)
2. Inhale deeply through your nose into your belly. We have incorrectly learned to breathe into our chest and lift our shoulders (correcting this takes thought and practice). While inhaling, mentally count to 5.
3. Hold the inhale for a mental count of 5.
4. Exhale deeply through your mouth making a whoosh sound (like you are deflating), mentally counting to 7.
Repeating this exercise just three times can make a huge impact! Once you get the rhythm of it and don't have to count, you can "inhale" positive words. When you inhale, think of the word "love" and feel that love filling up your lungs and spreading throughout your body. When you exhale, feel your breath sucking out the word "fear" and releasing it from your body. Use whatever words suit you at the time: happiness/sadness, patience/frustration, etc.
Bubble
Have you ever walked into a crowded store and suddenly felt anxious or angry for no reason? Or just looked at someone at a party and knew you wanted nothing to do with them? Or had someone you know walk up to you, and you just felt like you had to back away from them? Some people (many of them women) are extremely sensitive to other people's feelings (energy). This in turn can cause a lot of confusion because we can take these feelings on as our own, and not know why we suddenly feel this way. Or it can cause anxiety as our energy body feels the need to "run away" from someone else's negativity. Think of yourself as an emotional sponge walking into a room and sucking up everyone else's bad mood, anger, fear, sadness, etc ... no wonder our partners think we're moody!! Other people's energy can have a serious impact on you ... so put your Midol away ladies and get out your bubbles!!
1. Sit quietly for a minute (better yet, do this right after you have done some deep breathing).
2. Picture your body filling up with a radiant white light; feel it saturating every cell in your body.
3. Picture this light seeping out of your pours and creating a opalescent bubble around you (about 2-3ft wide).
4. Say to yourself "only love may enter, only love may exit" ... that's it!
Repeat this excersise as many times a day as needed: bubble your car before driving anywhere, bubble your house to keep any heavy energy from lingering, bubble your partner ... bubble, bubble, bubble! The key to doing this type of visualization is your intent; really intend for that bubble to be there and really intend for it to be filled with love. Again, I know this sounds silly and simplistic but I promise it works! Your conscious intention is an extremely powerful tool, so try it. Really, what have you got to loose?!?
Children
I just wanted to add that both these techniques work wonderfully with children and it is something they can have a little fun with. If you have young children like myself, who will not sit still without the use of rope and duck tape, then get creative with the breathing. Tell them to grab a little stuffed animal or car (whatever small thing they love), have them lay down on their backs with the toy on their tummies. Get them to inhale through their nose, exhale through their mouth (you can do the counts and shorten the lengths accordingly) and tell them to watch the toy move up and down. Be patient because the first thing they will do is try to fling the toy with their stomachs and laugh as it falls off (this is the point where you start deep breathing, instead of reaching for the duck tape!).
You can also bubble your children every morning before they leave for school ... nothing fills a child's bubble faster than a mother's love!! Better yet, try to get them to do it. Figure out a visualization that works for them (ie, Elsa magically creates a warm bubble and you jump into it, then Olaf fills it with warm hugs ... can you tell I have girls?). Teaching them this simple technique will empower a child who is anxious in class or gets picked on a recess. Got a bad sleeper? Bubble your children before bed and tell them if they wake up at night to go back to sleep in the safety of their bubble because it's monster proof!!
Let me know how this works for you. I would also love to hear what creative things you came up with for the kiddos! Happy breathing and bubbling ;)