Feeling anxious, or experiencing stress?
Here’s a simple practice you can use to ease anxiety and relax physical tension, caused by stress, in the body.
What is it?
a breath practice, with
a focus on grounding
Who is this for?
Anyone who is feeling anxious, or in ‘busy, busy’ mode and stressed about all the things that need to be done.
How does it work?
It regulates your nervous system and focuses your attention in the present moment.
What’s involved?
Breathing in a way which extends your out-breath.
Bringing your attention to your feet, to support you to be in the present moment.
How can this help?
When you extend your exhalation, you activate your relaxation response (term coined by Herbert Benson), signalling to your body it is safe to relax.
When you bring your attention to your feet, this shifts your focus from the head and the thinking mind, into your sensory experience, through connecting with sensations in your feet.
How to practice?
Join me as I explain the practice and guide you through it here.
Initially practice sitting down, then practice standing up, and then, if you wish, as you’re walking around.
Here’s how you do it:
Take your attention down to your feet and press them into the floor (this is a grounding practice). Take a moment to notice how they connect to the floor; notice the feel of your feet where they are resting, and notice the sensation of weight down through your feet
Now notice your breath – the inhale, and the exhale
Next, extend your exhalation to be longer than your inhale:
You can either use a count*, or simply have a sense of the out-breath being longer than the in breath.
*With a count; count in up to 4 (1, 2, 3, 4), and then out, to 5 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), 6, 7, or 8.
Work towards extending your exhale to be double the length of your inhale (ie inhale for count of 4, exhale for count of 8). Starting where you are at, with a number you can comfortably breathe out to, initially.
An optional addition to support you in staying grounded, is utilising an additional focus at your feet.
Option 1: as you breathe out, imagine your breath flowing down through your body, all the way down, through the soles of your feet. Take the next in-breath as you normally would. And continue - direct the breath down through the soles of the feet as you breathe in, then let the breath expel without any direction.
Option 2: Breathe in through the soles of your feet. Either leaving a sense of the breath in the feet, or sense the breath moving up into your body. Then, as you breathe out, following your breath out through the soles of your feet, with your longer exhalation.
How long do I have to do it?
You can do this practice with one breath, and experience a benefit.
I encourage you to practice with three breaths to begin.
You may like to then extend the practice to 1, 2, or 5 minutes.
Experiment with how many breaths it takes to shift your focus, and to experience feeling some calm.
When to practice?
Times to practice may include:
When you are triggered by something someone says or does
When you’re about to speak in a meeting and wish to feel a little (or a lot) calmer and more present
When you arrive at your desk, while computer is logging on. Do this practice and then set your intention for what’s next
Before your first sip of coffee; and then tasting it, with awareness
Before going to lunch; to switch your mind from work to a break
When you come back from lunch, and prepare to do focused work
Waiting times – in a queue, at traffic lights, waiting for public transport
Want more ideas?
I am a registered counsellor and psychotherapist, meditation teacher, and yoga instructor. Services I offer to individuals and workplace groups include:
Individual counselling sessions to support you with anxiety, stress, overwhelm, life transitions (eg change of life, change of career, change of relationship), grief and loss, depression, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other life stressors
One on one mindfulness meditation sessions, to suit your style; great to keep mindfulness front of mind
Introduction to Meditation Course; for individuals, groups, and workplaces
iRest Yoga Nidra for individuals, and groups
Corporate wellness programs and sessions – Yoga, Tai Chi, breathing practices, body sensing, guided meditations, and more.
Please do reach out if you’d like to find out more, and to work with me.