Calming Breath Tips for Election Anxiety
I wondered whether or not to write about election anxiety- as it seems to be both on everyone's mind as well as everyone's desire to move away from the physical and mental discomfort of unknowingness. But, I decided that because this is a collective experience that we are all moving through at this time, regardless of political party or even interest in following the democratic process of the U.S. election this season, it is an experience we are all living through.
To start, I thought I’d share how I was taking a walk in the early morning (before the sun even rose) while co-teaching a women’s retreat in Casco, Maine, and I got temporarily lost on the network of roads where we were staying. In fact, I came upon what I thought was a fork in the road but actually was a loop going in circles. Ironically, I had just previously been ruminating in my thoughts about vulnerability and stepping into a leadership role and feeling a little stuck in my mental log jam- when low and behold there I was caught in a loop- literally and figuratively.
Circling around, and around, with no movement upwards or downwards, I chuckled as I dropped into the awareness that I really had no idea which way to go or if I would get back in time to start the morning meditation. And then, with this uncertainty- I just let go. I allowed my mind to fall away and surrendered. Of course, it was in that moment of trust that I intuitively walked my way out of the loop, back out onto the road and easily on the right path back (with more grounded awareness than before!).
Letting go isn't always as easy as it seems though. Nor is reaching to a higher place as Albert Einstein wrote about in his quote- “We cannot solve a problem at the level it was created. We have to go to a source much higher.”
Consider climbing a ladder- whether climbing down or up, there is always a space between each rung which is considered the void. This is the place where we have no foot or hand on either rung- we are just in limbo, in mid-flight (like this image of 2024 Olympic surfer Gabriel Medina captured by photographer Jerome Brouillet).
This space between the rungs of the ladder, of deep trust into the universal unknowingness, is also like the split second between breaths, or the moment right before we jump into the cold water from a bank of rocks. Suspended in mid-air, we perhaps are more vulnerable than we have ever been as we have left “what once was”-but not yet reached “what is yet to come”.
The avoidance of this void state looks and feels like resistance, walking (or thinking) in circles 😊, and feeling trapped in fear. So, how do we shake out of the shackles of fear that keep us holding, gripping, walking in circles and closing in on ourselves, ruminating and thinking ‘If I could just figure this out” (hopeless).
In comes this quote- “We cannot solve a problem at the level it was created. We have to go to a source much higher.”
Our breath offers us one way to learn how reach to this higher place AND how to practice the ultimate experience of letting go. At our first breath- we inhale and usher into this life open and vulnerable ready to face the world and our whole life (filled with unlimited opportunities, surprise, magic, hurdles and ups and down). And, at our last and final breath, at our death- we experience our exhale at the time of our passing as one would call ‘The Deep Surrender’- a surrender from this life we once knew into the great void of beyond.
I write this all today around election anxiety because the primary components of ladder climbing, birth and death and BREATHING all have similar traits to the processes of change of which we are going through at this time. And more importantly change that is out of our control and connected to a higher place of becoming.
We all know there is a need here to deeply let go and surrender to the unknown. And that there is also a need for us to rise above the political divides, and find a higher place, a higher vantage point. So how do we do this? How do we take this leap- whether resting and renewing on the earth, or taking flight like a bird's wing looking down from a higher perspective?
Being with our BREATH ushers us to practice this deep letting go (with our exhale) AND the deep elevation of our consciousness (with our inhale) 22,000 times a day.
“Breathwork” takes this to a masterful place because it forces us to abandon all that we think we know about ourselves and our life and- while looping the inhale with the exhale in a dance of universal expanded consciousness, we begin to reclaim our comfort of being WITH the void. In essence, Breathwork allows us to practice the vulnerability of change “on purpose”- so that the bigger stuff feels easier in our day to day lives.
Is it not true that we are one cog in a vast widely expansive universe? If so, then ultimately we all need to learn to surrender to the mystery and learn to navigate our fears so we don’t miss out on the sheer joys of our living at all.
I do believe that when we bring ourselves opportunities like the deep cathartic experience of conscious circular breathing, whether in Breathwork Workshops or Breathwork Sessions that we learn that it actually is okay to let go, to reach for that higher rung, and to trust and reach higher because we can!
And when we practice that deep trust in our journey work with therapeutic Breathwork, we can begin to do that in our life, too- including right now facing uncertainty.
Further, when we can unburden our emotional baggage, we feel more free to take these leaps of courage with greater ease. And, while Breathwork Sessions can offer a wonderful antidote and support during this time so can simply the breath in this moment. So- here are just three simple breath practices to try at home to help alleviate election anxiety, to remind us to open to the expanded states, to trust deeply, and to relax fully. I hope you find these useful. Breathe deeper, reach higher, exhale fully and take the leap! Have a wonderful day.
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CALMING BREATH PRACTICES
1) Watching the Breath
This may seem like the simplest breath technique you've ever heard of- but in fact it can be quite challenging- and its benefits can be really profound. To start with maybe set a timer or choose a particular task to stay with while you practice this exercise.
A long-time life coach of mine and dear friend told a wonderful story about when faced with a challenge at work she chose to stay present to her breath throughout the duration. I use this technique often myself and this practice has continued to amaze me. The goal is to stay present to yourself breathing. Your own natural breath- whatever that looks like. No need to alter it, change it. Without judgement even, just stay present to it.
What I find as I practice this exercise is that I very quickly know what the next task/step is to do and very quickly arrive even more fully into the experience of myself living. There's less hurrying, more presence, and a ton of guidance right away. It also informs me as to where I've been and any grasping as to where I want to go next and very quickly delivers me into the moment.
The breath is amazing- a constant river, ebbing and flowing but also changing. So- try it out. Be a witness to it right now- wherever the breath is most noticeable- at the nostrils, noticing the belly and chest rise in response to your breathing, or any other flow states associated with it. Again- maybe start small with a timed session, or choose to do this for the full duration as you wash the dishes. Notice where it takes you, what is being informed. Enjoy!!
2) Practice LONG, SLOW, DEEP & FULL breaths.
-We want to get the exhale longer than the inhale to help turn on the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for rest and digest. This lengthening can produces a greater sense of calm.
-We also want to slow our breaths down and move away from habitual shallow chest breaths which only increase anxiety. Instead- see if you can slow the number of breaths down per minute (aiming even for a 6 second inhale and a 6 second exhale). This is a great practice as well to improve heart rate variability.
-We want our belly to rise on the inhale and feel a depth to our breathing in the pelvic bowl area. Getting the breath deep in the belly helps promote greater diaphragmatic breathing which helps produce increased relaxation. You can use your own hands on your belly or add a weighted belly bag!
-Finally, consider deepening your breaths. Each time we take a full deep inhale, this allows for a greater and more relaxed exhale (gravity works!). So- once you’ve mastered some of the other key components above, take a few deep breaths and notice a fresh perspective from having fresh oxygen to the brain. Enjoy!