Looking For Energy In All The Wrong Places

Most of the time people don’t have energy problems.  

When we’re feeling low energy, tired or flat-out fried, it’s not that we need to “get or have” more energy. The issue is more often this: we need to balance our nervous system. 

A lack of energy is often a nervous system balance problem. 

Q: How do we “balance” our nervous system?

A: Activate the “parasympathetic” nervous system, the part of our system that calms us down after being in “fight or flight" (the sympathetic nervous system.)

Q: How do we activate the calming part of nervous system? 

A: You know the answer: sleep, meditate, gentle exercise, bodywork, and breathwork. But let's just call it GOOD BREATHING. 

The reason I don't love calling breath practices “breathwork” all of the time, is modern breathwork practices can be a little alienating for some people, as the practices are often super active, a kind of forced hyperventilation practice, one that can have good therapeutic effects for many, but is not exactly what many people need to balancetheir nervous systems. Some modern breathwork is definitely not for all, all the time.

You know what IS for everybody all the time? 

Basic good breathing practices that have been taught for thousands of year. 

Breathing is one of those things where SIMPLE IS BEST. Try to remember to do a few simple check-ins, throughout the day- something super basic like this:

• Breath deeply/slowly, filling up only your belly so it protrudes on the inhale (the chest moves very little.) Do 5-10x.

• Experiment with filling up only the chest, so your entire chest cavity inflates on the inhale. Feel your ribcage expanding- top, sides, everywhere (the belly moves very little.) Do 5-10x

• And remember: IN AND OUT THROUGH THE NOSE ONLY

Simply expanding your awareness with where your breath is going on the inhale, and exercising your diaphragm like this is activating your parasympathetic nervous system and balancing your whole nervous system. In seconds.

What happens when we have a balanced nervous system?

Lower stress, more energy, better sleep, better digestion, and on and on- the whole desirable health shebang.