Breathing Through the Impact of COVID-19 on Personal Life

TODAY’S TOPIC: BREATHING THROUGH THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON PERSONAL LIFE

There is a lot going on around us in our world, and it is important that we take a moment to take care of ourselves amidst the significant impact of COVID-19 on personal life.

Conversations will not be canceled. Relationships will not be canceled. Love will not be canceled. Songs will not be canceled. Reading will not be canceled. Self-care does not need to be canceled. Hope above all things, will not be canceled.

It feels like everything is being canceled: events, jobs, plans, etc. This is creating a sense of nervousness and a feeling of being stuck. There are so many negative feelings floating around right now, and albeit perfectly normal, fear and overwhelm are becoming as much of a pandemic as COVID-19 itself, exacerbating the impact of COVID-19 on personal life.

You have a choice. You can also shift those feelings to calm, joy, and love because those too are contagious. My offering to you is to be selective about what you allow to bring in. It is easy to look at the stock markets and see our equity portfolios have dropped, to look around the grocery store, and see the lack of food and supplies. It is easy to allow the panic to set in, but recognizing the impact of COVID-19 on personal life can help us navigate these challenges more effectively.

Below are three empowered breathing techniques to help destress during COVID-19: ujjayi, anuloma viloma (nadi shodhana) and bhramari.

Victorious Breathing Technique to Decrease Stress During the Impact of COVID-19 on Personal Life

This technique is called ujjayi or the "victorious" breath. It can keep you grounded and present, offering a way to mitigate the negative effects of the impact of COVID-19 on personal life. It is one that I personally do when I am running around doing errands and need to take a moment to be still. This technique could be done standing or sitting somewhere comfortable with your feet planted firmly to the ground.

How: Either sit or stand, straighten your back, relax your eyes, and feel your feet push into the ground of the earth. Feel your feet push so far into the earth until they meet the core. Now take a deep breath in through your nose using your stomach, rib cage, and shoulders, exhale through your mouth. Repeat this technique until you feel calm and relaxed.

Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique to Decrease Stress During the Impact of COVID-19 on Personal Life

The next technique is called nadi shodhana or "alternate nostril breath". The idea behind this breathing exercise is to balance the mind and body, especially crucial during the times when the impact of COVID-19 on personal life feels overwhelming.

How: Using your right hand, cover your right nostril with your thumb, inhale through your left, now cover your left nostril with your pinky, hold your breath, release your right nostril and exhale. Repeat this cycle by inhaling through the right nostril. Now, take it to the full extent of the posture by putting your peach keepers (index and middle finger) at the third eye and use your thumb and ring finger to repeat this process.

Bumblebee Breathing Technique to Decrease Stress During the Impact of COVID-19 on Personal Life

The last technique that we are going to cover today is called the bumblebee method. This technique brings a lot of energy to the brain by vibration and can be particularly soothing during the stressful times brought on by the impact of COVID-19 on personal life.

How: After completing a breathing technique take notice of how you are feeling. Do you feel relaxed, connected, disconnected, energized? There is no right or wrong answer but it is important that you recognize those feelings.

Gratitude Technique to Decrease Stress During the Impact of COVID-19 on Personal Life

The idea of finding gratitude in things we do not feel angry, we are less scared, jealous, hateful, etc. If you are truly grateful in that moment, then all of those negative feelings cannot penetrate that gratitude. The practice of being grateful is to find something to be grateful for even during the hardest times. Take stock of all the things to be grateful for no matter how big or small.

How: Write down three things that you are grateful for and continue to do this daily.

Take Action: Breathe Through the Impact of COVID-19 on Personal Life

My invitation to you is to control what you can. If you try to control things that you have no control over then that is when overwhelm will set in. Take control of how you perceive the world around you. Take control of the things that you say. Take control of how you breathe. That has a profound impact and that is as pandemic as COVID-19.

View this episode of wellness Wednesday to learn stress-relieving breathing techniques such as ujjai pranayama (victorious breath), nadi shodhana pranayama (alternate-nostril breath), and bramari pranayama (bumble bee breath). Also tune in to learn why a gratitude practice is so valuable.