Well, my little girl surprised us and barreled her way into the world early - three weeks early. I had only been to three of the six classes, the last three the most important -- Do Not Miss Them -- classes! I had only learned "first gear" breathing. Breathe in through your nose slowly, while focusing on a point beyond your nose, breathe out through your mouth slowly, while still focusing on that same point. We had even practiced it quite a bit for which I am eternally grateful. With 36 hours of sweet, natural labor, that breathing thing really came in handy.
Recently my husband and I began taking Yoga classes. Once again I learned the importance of breathing. Apparently we are all rushing through life, seldom taking the time to sniff let alone smell, the roses - and therefore we don't breathe in the correct manner. Shallow breathing, the kind that starts small and fast, and then ends up with hyperventilation - that's what we mostly do.
So next time you feel stressed, breathe. Breathe deeply into your stomach, not your chest, and breathe slowly. Count in to four and then let your breathe out to the count of five.
Try it. It sure helped me -- at least a couple of times!
