Holiday De-stressor

By Laura Gordon

Christmas shopping, house decorating, cooking, family gatherings and making New Year’s resolutions have you a little stressed out? The simple technique I’m about to describe to you will help you take advantage of the mind-body connection by releasing stress and improving your overall health and attitude. It’s like a mini vacation without having to pack!

Here’s how it goes…

The first step is to sit with your back straight but not tense. With open hand resting in open hand and palms up, place them ccomfortably in your lap. If you can, loosen any clothing that feels tight around your waist. Bring your focus to your breath. The idea here, on your inhalation, is to let the diaphragm descend fully into the abdominal cavity on the count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale slowly on a count of four through your mouth feeling the diaphragm ascend. Hold for a count of four, and repeat; each time you repeat increase the number until you reach 10. It may feel strange at first, and it may take some practice, but just be patient and allow yourself to experience the benefits of this new/old way of breathing.

You can enjoy this de-stressor anytime of the year you feel you need to get away.