Breathing, back pain and self care. What’s the connection?
I hope your week has been fulfilling. Hopefully, you’ve been able to find some time and take care of yourself and recharge. Self-care is definitely something that I have to remind myself to do. For a lot of us, it’s easy to place everyone else’s needs ahead of our own. I don’t know if you do this, but I tend to treat self-care as a “reward” if I get everything on my “to-do” list done. I have to remind myself that it’s just as important to nurture my own self as it is to nurture those I love. Honoring what we need and giving ourselves permission to experience the nurturing we so easily give to others is a way of getting in touch with our inner self. It allows us to get to know ourselves intimately, understand our emotions, and intuitively recognize what our bodies and hearts need in order to discover and/or follow our soul’s purpose. It helps us show up in the world.
Research has been shown that when we are under stress, our pain can be felt more intensely. People can experience more intense lower back pain when they are under more stress. It’s beneficial to recognize when you are under more stress, so that you can take care of yourself and reduce your stress in order to help manage your pain.
What does your self-care routine look like? I’m creating a list of ideas to share and would love to hear what your routine looks like.
Here’s a short list I have so far...
1) Sit outside and read
2) Take a stroll and just enjoy the sounds, the sights, and the outdoors without monitoring my steps, my speed, or my heart rate
3) Self-massage, especially during the Winter- my skin gets so dry!
4) Light a candle or incense
5) Take an extra-long shower and remember to apply oil on my damp skin
6) Polish my fingernails and sit still long enough for them to dry
7) Listen to music and dance
8) Write in a journal
9) Rest with nothing particular to do, let my mind wander
10) Tantric meditation (this is a newer practice for me)
In Tantric meditation, understanding how to move the breath(pranayama) is something I have been learning recently. Under the guidance of Tracee Stanley, learning about meditation and breathing has been a wonderful addition to my study and practice of yoga. There are many different patterns of breathing that can help activate the nervous system, calm the nervous system, reduce anxiety, lower your blood pressure, lower your heart rate, balance the energy in your body, balance your Chakras, improve focus, and reduce pain.
I’d like to offer a simple breath practice/meditation here. Find a comfortable position whether it is sitting upright, reclined or lying down. Soften the breath so that you cannot hear yourself breathing. Breathe through the nose if that is accessible to you. Create a circular breath meaning there is no pause at the end of the inhale or at the end of the exhale. Try to create an even inhale with the exhale. I like to count during my inhale and exhale, so pick a number that feels accessible without gasping for air. Practice for several minutes as your schedule allows. This is a breathing pattern that can be done anytime of day.
I’d love to hear how this practice feels for you. And, if you have any self-care rituals you like, I’d love to hear about them!