We are living through tumultuous times, especially right now, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. A fertility journey can be trying and testing by itself, so the matter of a global pandemic is not exactly conducive to calm.
That’s why it’s important to cultivate a few practices that will calm and centre you – within minutes. If you’re in a constant state of fight-or-flight, your body’s vital processes slowly shut down, and your immune and digestive systems are the first to suffer.
BUT – if you can catch yourself in those challenging moments before they develop into anxiety, your body can bounce back quickly!
And that’s where deep belly breathing (yes, it’s a ‘thing’) comes in!
Diaphragmatic breathing – to give it its official title – is when you breathe in with sufficient depth that your stomach (specifically the area of the diaphragm) rises followed by your lungs.
According to a study at Harvard, belly breathing helps oxygen travel all over the body. This, in turn, calms down racing hearts and stimulates the vagus nerve, which lowers the body’s need to produce stress hormones.
If you can get yourself into the habit of practicing deep belly breathing 1-4 times a day, you can ease tension in your body, decrease anxiety levels, promote deeper sleep, and boost your energy. All of these will have a positive impact on fertility.
It’s very simple to do:-
- Find a quiet place where you can lay flat on your back or sit with your back flat against a wall.
- Take 3 normal breaths.
- Place your hands on your stomach, just above your belly button.
- Breathe in slowly through your nose and try to expand your stomach so much that your hands rise with it.
- Hold for just a second and notice how far your hands have risen on your belly.
- Breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Repeat 5 times. Each time, try to relax even deeper into the breath.
#deepbellybreathing #diaphragmaticbreathing #fertility #nuafertility
