Week 2:
Focusing on Your Breath
Why Pay Attention to Your Breath?
One of the unique things about your breath is that it is always with you. Because this is true, it is an excellent resource to have to bring you back to the present moment. This can be helpful when you may experience uncomfortable emotions (such as anxiety of stress) or thoughts (such as worry or rumination). Simply focusing your attention on your breath can be a way to ground yourself in the moment you are in, which is the only moment you have control over.
Another interesting thing about your breath is that it is both voluntary and involuntary. That is, if you stop thinking about breathing, you will keep breathing automatically or unconsciously, but if you choose to focus your attention on it, you can also exercise control over the way that you breathe.
Running and Breathing
Running is a great way to bring your breath into your conscious awareness, mostly because your rate of breathing increases as you exercise. Check out this video below for some basic principles on effective breathing when you run (and also when you walk). Here are a few key points to consider:
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Breath into your belly, not your chest.
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Try breathing through your nose versus your mouth, this promotes stomach versus chest breathing.
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Keep your shoulders back and relaxed, not slouched forward and tense.
Weekly Reflection
This week, when you are running (or walking), consider paying attention to your breath by using it as a grounding point for your awareness.
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What do you notice about about your breath?
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Rate?
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Depth (Stomach? Chest?)
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Are you breathing through your nose? Mouth?
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How difficult/easy is it?
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Is it hard to keep your attention on your breath? What is distracting you? Can you notice when you are distracted and shift your attention back to your breath?