Thursday, 13 April 2017 05:01

A Day in the Life...

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Let go of the battle. Breathe quietly and let it be. Let your body relax and your heart soften.
Open to whatever you experience without fighting.
Jack Kornfield


In order to keep myself in tip top coaching shape, I’m currently taking part in an online coaching course, run by Gregg Sugarman, a fabulous New York based Life Coach I met a few years ago. Our homework for the first week, was to check in with our breathing on the hour, every hour. Well blow me over with a feather, I was horrified to discover how shoddy my breathing skills are. While I can belly breathe along with the best of them when I put my mind to it, while going about my business on a daily basis, it turns out I shallow breathe like a pro.

The benefits of breathing deeply are common knowledge and most of us know that stress and the rushed pressure we live under are not good for our health. If you are like me, what you forget is that the solution is simpler than we realize.

After a week of simply paying attention to my breathing a couple of times throughout the day, there was a noticeable improvement in my well-being. Apart from the calming, steadying effect of deeper breaths, all that extra oxygen circling around was doing wonders for my brain. I was alert, more energetic and having vivid dreams I could remember. I think y’all you should know that one of those dreams was shoe shopping for my four feet!

So why don’t we breathe deeply all the time? It’s interesting. In Week Two of the course, although we were tasked with keeping the breathing exercises going, our focus shifted to a new area. What do you think happened? I fell right off the breathing bandwagon. Turns out I wasn’t the only one. Gregg received a flurry of emails from the group asking him to please keep reminding us to breathe!

Like with any new habit, it takes a concerted effort to change something we are doing. Breathing is no different. We are bombarded with sensory input throughout the day and breathing is not something we actually need to focus on. However, it certainly should be something we WANT to focus on.

Do yourself a favour and make the effort to take ten deep, sustaining breaths as regularly as you can during your day. Feel your belly expand as you draw sparkling oxygen into your body. Imagine every single cell throughout your body coming to life as it is bathed in the life sustaining essence of life.

Don’t make a big thing of it, in fact no one even has to realise you are doing it. But you will. You will feel the benefits immediately and like me, you’ll wonder why on earth you don’t do this all the time!

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I'm a Personal Development Life Coach who specialises in L.I.F.E (Living Into your Fullest Expression). Based in Richards Bay, on the East Coast of South Africa, I live with my long-suffering husband, (his description!), two much-loved dogs and care for my elderly father who has Alzheimer's.

Read more about me here.

Comments  

# Kristin 2017-04-18 05:12
This is so interesting. It's amazing how good you feel after a few minutes of focusing on your breathing, I was doing it while reading this post and it felt great!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-18 06:38
Lol, that's brilliant! It does the same for me every time I come back to respond to a comment. It really does feel great, doesn't it?
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# Laura 2017-04-18 04:44
One of the great thing about yoga is the breathing. So calming.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-18 06:37
I think yoga played a big role in bringing our attention to breathing, as well as all the other benefits it brings, of course.
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# Jacqueline 2017-04-17 20:11
This is a great post. I know before I practised yoga and meditation by breathing wasn't beneficial as it is now. I think it's great you're continuing to grow and learn in your profession. I was encouraged to become a life coach, it's something I might study in the future. For now, I am planning to be teach publishing indie magazines along with offering some coaching
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-18 06:36
Coaching by it's very nature keeps you on your toes. Many of my clients are successful and experts in their fields, nothing like that to prompt you to keep learning! It's a wonderful process as I'm sure you'll discover as you do it. Good luck!
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# Juliana 2017-04-17 19:00
Thanks for your tips! It's so true!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-18 06:33
You're welcome!
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# Eugenia 2017-04-16 21:12
Great reminder and technique! Breathing deeply is so important and it can helps with reducing stress. Love your post!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-17 07:53
Thanks Eugenia, breathing deeply is a fabulous remedy for stress and all that oxygen does wonders for clear thinking!
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# Via Bella 2017-04-15 22:21
That is a great idea! I definitely believe in re centering and this is one way to do it! ~ http://viabella-thebeautifullife.blogspot.com/
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-16 09:48
What's nice is it can be done anywhere, any time. You can;t beat that!
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# Ellie 2017-04-15 18:51
I try to practice deep belly breathing every day for my anxiety and also for digestive health (yup, I know that sounds weird but it does work)

Ellie
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-16 09:47
Good for you, I can imagine it is great for both body and mind , Ellie.
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# Lindsey 2017-04-15 07:58
It is so important just to relax and take a deep breathe, to be calm and bring calmness to your mind will help relax you and make you more productive.
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-15 12:25
Well said Lindsey and it really works like that, certainly in my experience!
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# Ali Rost 2017-04-15 04:40
You're so so right about our breath and how something so simple can transform our thoughts. A few years ago I started practicing yoga and was introduced to the idea of breath. Although to be honest I found myself to worried about doing the poses correctly that I completely forgot about my breathing. I finally got it when I began meditating. Now when I'm feeling upset .. I sit quietly for a few minutes and find my breath .. it's made all the difference in the world
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-15 12:24
I know what you mean, Alison. I find it hard to breathe and move like in yoga and practising it in meditation has helped. It would be wonderful if deep breathing became as automatic as shallow breathing seems to be. Those moments when I do remember are so powerful in calming any emotion that is doing it's thing and taking over!
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# Cassidy Adventures 2017-04-14 19:20
This is a great article! Taking the time to consciously breathe is so important! I'm taking a deep breath right now!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-15 12:20
Lol, it's catchy! Reading that you were taking a deep breathe made me take one.
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# Dogvills 2017-04-14 16:01
Thanks for the reminder. I used to do deep breathing, however, I haven't been doing it lately. It does provide relaxation. I should put a sign on my work space that says "breathe"
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-15 12:18
That is actually a very good idea! I think I should do the same.
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# Michelle 2017-04-14 01:01
I've been a singer since I was small, and I should know better, but I often forget to breathe properly. Thanks for the reminder!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-14 08:01
It's funny how we forget things that we know are good for us. It always surprises me when that happens in my own life.
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# heidi 2017-04-13 21:52
My husband and I used to practice BREATHING every night, wanted to be clear haha. I have to admit that given the stress I've been under and quitting the workout I can definitely see how bad it's gotten. Every night though I let out that crap of the day breath:)
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-14 08:00
Lol, exercise, of all kinds, works wonders in getting us to breathe deeply!
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# Ana De- Jesus 2017-04-13 21:34
I always forget to take deep breaths which I think definitely heightens my anxiety. That is definitely something I need to look into x
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-14 07:59
It really does help with anxiety on a physiological level so definitely give it a try. The challenge is remembering to do it in the stressful moment.
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# Dusica 2017-04-13 14:14
Great article to reminds us for properly breathing. Thanks for sharing!
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-13 14:41
Always a good thing to remember!
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# Prateek Goel 2017-04-13 13:29
Great blog! Loved these lines the most.... "Imagine every single cell throughout your body coming to life as it is bathed in the life sustaining essence of life."
I'll do this one
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-13 14:42
Ah thank you Prateek. Those words do create a lovely image in my mind!
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# one sporty mother 2017-04-13 12:22
Yes! I've read a tip about holding your breathe for a couple of seconds and then release it can help activate your brain especially when you feel sleepy. :)
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-13 14:43
There is a breathing technique for just about everything! I use rhythmic breathing to sleep better but it's good to know it can also wake you up.
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# Sarah 2017-04-13 11:42
Very true it's one of those things that I think we take for granted, and forget to breathe deeply
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-13 14:44
I was really surprised at how shallow my breathing got during a normal busy day. Taking a deep breath right now...
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# Harshraj 2017-04-13 09:06
Great article. Breathing is certainly the most important activity of our life. It certainly deserves our attention
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# - Soul Sense Coaching 2017-04-13 14:44
It does, doesn't it!
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