Begin Again- How to Move Through Stressful Times

Have you been having a hard time focusing and wondering if there’s something wrong with you? When our mental health is in the dumps, it can make us feel like we don’t want to breathe.

For many people right now, things feel scattered and pressurized. And with continual 24/7 available access to so many resources to help us- it can actually feel more overwhelming to choose anything at all to help ourselves which can make us feel more stuck.

I’m a firm believer in naming and identifying these hard places. Believing everyone else seems to have it “all together” just furthers feelings of shame and guilt which can makes us feel even more vulnerable and unsupported.

The truth is- these times we’re in are pressurized, and this can be good! We can work with the stress to help create positive change in our lives. Kind of like working with momentum or the energy it takes for a flower to burst open from a bud. But this emergent process begins with naming honestly where we are- including the very real feelings that come from the places of stress we may find ourselves in.

How do we work with this concept- we start by naming and identifying the real hurt or pain we may feel. We acknowledge to ourselves or another that things feel hard. We honor the feelings that come up around that- by actually feeling them. This is not easy- I can attest myself to having recently needed to sit with uncomfortable feelings of aloneness, vulnerability, and change. No one wants to feel these icky places… But they are real and natural and a part of our evolutionary growth and experience as a human being- trust me- everyone, everywhere around the planet feels these feelings (not just you).

But mastery comes from also identifying that this feeling/experience you’re having is not all of who you are. We must believe that there is also a part of us that is strong and capable and will rise out of the ashes again and again from hard times. And we need to be able to see ourselves there- transformed and clear-eyed and having ease in our lives.

Once we name where we are and how we’re genuinely feeling, we then need to believe that something else is possible for us. We can’t let the heavy weight or burden we are facing overtake/hijack our entire system lest we believe that this pain is all that we are or ever will be.

This gentle nudge towards our highest and best self takes practice and is a mastery exercise in itself. Especially because sometimes these sticky places within us all can make us feel inert or unlovable which are often coping mechanisms to help keep us from experiencing real pain of loss or rejection, etc. in this world- which again, is natural!

So, first we must take time to notice and honor the genuine feelings of fear/other we may be having and then, whether gently or firmly, begin to steer ourselves towards that which we also know is true about ourselves- that we can experience peace, open-heartedness, curiosity, joy, creativity and compassion- we can because we are human and this is possible for everyone!

Spiritual bypassing is the practice of ignoring our more difficult feelings and believing that we can just move on from them by forcing ourselves into joy. But when we truly honor where we are and honor where we are going we learn that we are the true healer of all. We learn to recognize, allow, accept and THEN intend. From our pure honesty, we gain strength from our vulnerability to shine brighter.  

How does this relate to Breathwork? Our intention where we begin to launch from IS our breath. The inhale IS the intention. When we say yes to this one breath- we are saying yes to the Universe, yes to our lives, yes to our value and worth. And this happens in just 1 breath.

We breathe approximately 22,000 breaths a day on average. These breaths often go unnoticed, uninteresting, and some of these happen when we’re asleep! BUT- when we begin to combine our present moment awareness with conscious breathing from our places of honest vulnerability, we practice saying yes to honoring our lives and opening to the change that is possible within us all.

From there- our breath takes over for us (remarkably). We move from shrinking back from life to feeling seen and heard and then open more to the remarkable possibilities available in this world!

If you want to try out this practice- begin with compassionate awareness, acknowledge in this moment how you might really be feeling and then choose just 1 breath video from the YouTube library and practice your own conscious breathing with this moment. See what happens when you bring your own conscious breath to a tender heart- feel yourself literally showing up for you- choosing to honor the pain AND to believe in something far greater for yourself.

This is, in its own way, a boundary practice. Setting boundaries around how we honor and show up for ourselves, and how we make conscious choices to celebrate the best parts of ourselves- by also recognizing our pain parts with care.

Breathwork is not the panacea for everything or everyone, but what is nice is that when we build greater breath awareness through relationality and practice- we learn that we have choices and moments all the time to open towards ourselves rather than moving away during difficult moments.

I have a fridge magnet that I love- which has a quite from the Buddha- “Each day we begin again, what we do today is what matters most. Begin again.”

Our cells regenerate by replacing approximately 330 billion cells every day. When we breathe consciously we speed up this process of cellular regeneration by increasing oxygenation. Which means we really are the catalysts for our own healing- and our breath is a wonderful ally. Enjoy your exploration!

Conscious breathing practice can help bring our awareness more into the present moment which can gives us access to a whole host of inner wisdom and feelings. This can help inform us about what we need and where to go from here, but sometimes difficult feelings can be hard to sit with alone. Scheduling a Breathwork Session provides a somatic approach to integration of painful experiences. With a supportive skillful guide, you can honor these difficult places while having support. Reach out for more information on how to get started with this therapeutic approach to integrative healing.    

Breathwork teaches us about our ability to meet ourselves where we are right now, exactly as we are right now. With no need to force or coerce. To be open- open to our breath- open to this moment- open to life-giving hope and joy. Breathe! Pass it on.