Healthy Aging Includes Reducing Stress
I’ve been thinking a lot about aging lately- and how to age well. Having recently been identified as a potential candidate for a hearing aid in the same week as our son headed into his 8th grade school year (a milestone for sure), the markers of time passing and aging have felt upon me. Perhaps, you too, have been gazing at the falling leaves and pondering the season of change in your own life- or maybe you are at a turning point in your own life where you’re caring for an aging parent, nursing a newborn, or seeing the signs of your own well-cared for body aging. 😊!
Wherever you are in the cycle of life, aging is a fact of all of our lives. But how do we age well? And what are the researchers saying today about how to live a long healthy life?
Thankfully, studies show that finding ways to manage our stress is a key ingredient to improving our overall well-being. “Stress can change the brain, affect memory, and increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s or related dementias…Further, a meta-analysis funded by the National Institute of Mental Health supports the notion that stress and anxiety rewire the brain in ways that can impact memory, decision-making, and mood.”
We all can have a lot of stressors in any given day— but often fewer ways to process our stress in a healthy way.
This is where our breathing comes in. Breathwork offers a natural somatic way for our whole body to not only process underlying stress but also help unwind stored tension associated with it. In addition, when we breathe more diaphragmatically, our natural breathing muscles kick in and communicate to our whole nervous system that we can relax.This relaxation helps our bodies reduce adrenaline and cortisol levels so we can be less triggered by stress in our lives.
Not knowing how to process the stress in our life can feel overwhelming. Breathwork helps generate a natural flow of energy to promote an energetic exchange within all our body’s major systems- lymphatic, digestive, cellular, cardio-vascular and much more! But because Breathwork is also steeped in mindful awake practices, Breathwork can also help us cultivate peace, bring greater clarity and insight about the issues of our lives, and also help usher us into this present moment- where our life is really happening.
LEARN MORE ABOUT BREATHWORK BENEFITS HERE
Learning and practicing efficient breathing strategies and opening up the new networks of optimal breathing then becomes an essential ingredient for balancing our whole aging life system- not just to manage the daily stressors of our life but to shift the underlying patterns that cause stress in our lives to begin with.
Having guided Breathwork Sessions for over 20 years, I often ask myself what is it about the breath that keeps me so engaged and interested in this field after so long? Again and again, the answer is clear. I love connecting to the mystery of the breath, I love how it can change how we feel and I love how it illuminates all the possible potentialities that live within the Universe in one single inhale.
We know then, that to age well- we must reduce our stress and practice mindfulness- so why not turn to our breath. Plus, with more oxygen we can also begin to see our problems with fresh perspective- including those associated with aging.
To check out some simplified conscious breath practices you can do at home- visit my YouTube Channel.
To shift underlying patterns associated with stress, and build a deeper understanding and relationship to your own body breathing, Schedule a Breathwork Session. Or reach out to Learn More!