Find Balance with Mindful Breathing

Melissa Hurt, Former Program Manager at To Life!

I’ve discovered the keys to bettering my life have come from insights about myself breathing mindfully on my yoga mat.  

Breathing with mindfulness has many benefits including calming the mind, lowering anxiety, lowering blood pressure, and increasing a sense of contentment in everyday life.  

As a 700-hour certified yoga teacher and certified embodied voice and speech trainer, I include breath awareness in every class I teach.  

Breath is at the center of all creation.  

The yoga practices offered by To Life! provide an opportunity for all thrivers, survivors, caregivers, and the medical community to experience how body, mind, and spirit can come together with mindful breathing.  

Even after fifteen years of yoga practice, I know if I shake in a pose that tests my balance, I’m doing exactly what I’m supposed to do: 

Breathing through the process of finding balance whether I am in a yoga pose or in a difficult life circumstance.  
Balance on the yoga mat is not much different than finding balance in life. Both require breathing, evaluation, and leaning into the process at hand. 
If you want balance in your life, lean into the wobbly moments and breathe. 

Matching the mind, breath, and movement brings you to the stillness of the spirit within.  

Try this short practice to feel the beauty of mindfully breathing: 

• Lie down with your knees bent and your feet hip-distance from each other. Let the knees fall toward each other in a position called “constructive rest.” You want your body to be relaxed so your mind can soften.  
• Tune your awareness inward to your breath. Feel it coming in and out through your nose.  
• Notice its temperature as you bring it in and as it leaves you.  
• Notice where you feel your breath moving your body, particularly your chest, belly, sides, and/or back. Notice this movement without judging it. Be one with it and enjoy the sensations of breathing.  
• Enjoy 10 cycles of calm, mindful breathing practice.  

Now ask yourself: 

Do I feel calmer? 

Do I feel more content? 

Do I feel more connected with the present moment? 

If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, let this be confirmation of the value of mindfully breathing to improve your overall well-being and health.  

You can explore mindful breathing in our weekly yoga offerings. Check out the Wellness Programming page to register for the class that’s right for you! 

Click HERE for classes.

Posted in: Emotional/Mental Health, Exercise, Mindfulness/Wellness