It’s been a hard week for many. In the conversations I’ve been having this week, so many of us are feeling weary, overwhelmed, exhausted, sad, heavy. You are not alone in feeling this way. There is a lot of pain in the world right now. A lot of tragedies. Hurricanes and tornadoes have ravaged communities and peoples’ lives. A school shooting, just one city over from where I live, took the life of a young student. The ongoing pandemic continues to deepen a divide, overtax healthcare workers and claim more lives. All of these events have shaken our sense of security, safety and stability. Using the breath can help bring us back to center.
I’ve provided some tools in this post to help relieve suffering and restore a sense of safety, stability and security. It’s so important to continue to take care of ourselves–mentally, emotionally, physically–in the midst of difficult times. The breath is one way to help stabilize ourselves. It can be an anchor when constant thoughts of worry loop in our minds; when our emotions flood us and become too much for us to experience; when we notice stress and tension in our bodies; when it feels like we’re no longer on solid ground.
The breath is always available to us. Much like a physical anchor provides security and steadiness for a boat, so too can the breath.
8 Ways to Use the Breath as an Anchor
- Follow the rise and fall of your belly. Gently rest your hand on your stomach to increase your connection with your body and the present moment.
- Imagine your belly as dough rising or a soap bubble expanding and contracting. Simply follow the rise and fall of each breath. Place a hand on your belly to further increase connection to yourself.
- Imagine your breath is the ocean at low tide, and follow its ebb and flow to the shoreline.
- Slowly tap your feet while observing the natural flow of the breath in and out.
- Inhale for a count of 4 and exhale for a count of 4. Do this several times before gently increasing to a count of 6 and then to a count of 8 based on your comfort level.
- Imagine your breath as a color. As you inhale, breathe in a color that represents what you need. For example, blue for calm, yellow for joy, etc. Exhale a color that represents what you want to let go of. For example, red for fear, orange for worry.
- Count each breath. When you reach 10 breaths, begin counting again starting with 1. Repeat this cycle of 10 breaths as many times as you need to increase calm.
- Pair each inhalation and exhalation with lovingkindness phrases:
May I be safe.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.