Last month, as I was rushing through all the morning washing and brushing before leaving for a speaking session, I suddenly realized my breath had come to my upper chest. I then paused to slow down and let the breath go deep. I knew exactly what made that happen. Breath is susceptible to what’s going on in our mind. Whenever we focus too much on thinking and doing, our breath will go short and shallow. It happens to everyone. Though diaphragmatic breathing is a habit for me, it still happens occasionally. The key is to be aware. You need to be very observant of your breath so as to adjust yourself physically thus mentally. By being aware of the little changes in my breath, I know what I’m going through, where the problem is and what needs to be adjusted. Breathing IS the secret to all balances. One conscious deep breath harmonizes the flow of your energy and aligns you physically and mentally.
To achieve your balance, start to be more observant of your breath. Notice:
- Where does breath happen in your body, chest area or stomach area?
- When does it happen in your chest area, and when does it happen in your stomach area?
- What made the change in breathing into different areas of your body?
Use breath as a balance-check tool. Whenever you notice the changes in your breath, pause, slow down and adjust yourself through deep breathing, i.e. diaphragmatic breathing, and you’ll find you can manage your stress better and achieve balance more easily.
