5 minutes of calm and deep breathing reduces stress. Guaranteed!

With all the busyness in life it can often feel as if the external world is driving and controlling us. This can leave us feeling unsettling and off-balance. One of the best cures for this is to develop a daily practice of simply stopping, sitting quietly, taking your attention to your heart and breathing deeply for 5 minutes. If you are able to also add a feeling of appreciation or love, the experience will be enriched. You can also close your eyes if you like.
Just 5 minutes is all it takes. At first it may feel a little strange to just be sitting doing ‘nothing’, so it may take a few days to get used to the practice.

To experience the full benefits, you do need to start by committing to breathing in this way, once a day for a week. Then increase the frequency to 3 or 4 times a day. The feeling of renewed balance that you experience will be so enjoyable that increasing your practice will be easy.

If you are not able to close your office door to get some private time, then pop to the loo, put the lid down so you can sit comfortably. Or take a walk to the end of the car park, find a place to lean comfortably, and do your heart-focussed breathing. Just find any spot in your work environment where you can be alone for 5 minutes.

If you would like to learn more about this practice, you can explore the HeartMath website here.

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