Do This Easy Calming Technique When You Don’t Know WTF Else to Do
The last two months of the year can feel like mental Jenga. Your to-do list keeps getting crazier (holiday shopping, cross-country travel, end-of-year work deadlines) and you haven’t been prioritizing your healthy habits (a nice long walk, meditating or hitting the yoga studio). The good news, according to LA-based kundalini yoga teacher Taylor EyeWalker, is that you can still completely balance it all with a could-not-be-easier, do-anywhere breathing technique. It seems super simple, but you’ll be shocked at how life-changing it really is. Do it in the bathroom at work, on your morning commute or before a long flight.
“As the holidays approach, it is essential that we utilize tools to support us in staying balanced, clear, consolidated and free of negative emotions,” says Taylor. “This meditation is very powerful. It coordinates both areas of the brain, gives you powerful insight, and coordinates the mystery of spiritual phenomena into the mastery of the three bodies (physical, mental and spiritual). Though it looks simple, it solves many complications.”
Here’s how you do it:
Posture (Mudra): Sit with a straight spine. Relax the arms down by the sides of the body. Bend the elbows and raise the hands up until they are in front of the chest. The hands are relaxed and face up. The fingers of left hand are angled to the right, and the fingers of the right hand are angled to the left. One palm rests in the other and the thumbs are crossed. Note: It doesn’t matter which hand is on top, just cross the hands, palms up.
Eyes: Look at the tip of the nose with eyes closed.
Breath (This is a 4-part breath sequence)
1. Inhale through the nose, then exhale through the nose.
2. Inhale through the mouth, and exhale through the mouth.
3. Next, Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
4. Finally, inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose.
Continue this sequence. All breaths should be deep, complete and full. When breathing through the mouth, purse the lips. It is not a whistle but the lips are pursed as if whistling. Do this for 11 minutes. You can slowly and gradually increase the time to 31 minutes.
5. To end, inhale deeply, stretch your hands up, stretch your spine, stretch all the way and now be tight muscle-to-muscle and stretch with all the force at your command. Stretch, stretch, stretch. Relax.
What are your favorite ways to relax? Share with us in the comments below!
Photography: Kurt Andre
Modeling: Misty Spinney
Necklace: The Mala Shop
