Take a deep breath.  Let it out.  Take another deep breath, and give a big audible sigh as you release.  Now just breathe easy. 

We spend so much of our day running around, keeping schedules (our own as well as our dependents), getting “it” done.  If you’re a mover and a shaker or even a little Type-A, this involves a little adrenaline.  Adrenaline isn’t a bad thing; it activates you to run from danger or fight off unwanted advances.  But most of us don’t really need it to get through a normal day. 

And then there are those who are part “adrenaline junkie”, setting up their leisure time with stuff that used to scare the pants off your mother.  You make enjoy the rush, but you need to know it takes a toll.  It’s stressful on the body.  It’s wear and tear. 

Stop having fun?  Take up knitting and quilting?  Naaahhh.  Just get a little balance on it.  The wear and tear (or stress) on my body often outweighs the rest and recovery I give it.  Keeping the main thing the main thing:  I could get rid of some unnecessary “amp” in my life.  I can chose “normalcy” before “over adrenalized”.

People think they need to take up meditating or yoga or hynosis or something.  Here’s new…it all starts with slowing down your breathing.  Get a handle on that first.  You’re trainable.  You can do it.  Some of you do it quickly when you sit in your favorite comfy chair or  hear your favorite song.  Some of you take that big sigh the minute the kids are on the school bus. 

3/40     I will take 5 minutes every day to do my breathing exercises.

So simple, even a child can do it!

In the past of I have attempted to start my day this way.  Yeah, that involves getting up a few minutes earlier.  I don’t like it.  And I tend to fall back asleep.  Or think of sleeping.  I can generally fit it in somewhere in the middle of my day (heck, I spend half my day in a yoga studio; there is often a quiet space…).  When all else fails, I sit in my garage.  Yup.  That’s where I work out and do yoga.  Many evenings I get home and plop down on my big red mat and just breathe.  It helps me compartmentalize…ends my work day or training session and lets me know I’m ready to relax.  Signals to me that I can go in and just sit.  Just be. 

Breakfast, even at 5:00 am!  Exercise happily done, and some sore legs to show for it (and I must add that the back/hip/nerve pain is quite diminished!!).