For my next online class, which satisfies my health requirements, I’ve started taking Stress Management PEC 253. I hope to find useful information and practice from this course that I will be able to apply directly to my day to day life.
For our first assignment, we had to breathe. No, seriously that was the assignment. Ok, perhaps I’m distilling down the work a bit. Specifically, the assignment was to practice diaphragmatic or deep breathing exercises. I have to admit, I’m very green when it comes to “breathing” – in the scope that we’re discussing here. 🙂
After a moderately stressful day at work, I decided to get a jump start on this course in an attempt to NOT be so stressed when I start my other accounting course in 2 weeks. Hopefully, this course will prevent future stress.
As I find myself most relaxed in the shower, and in the water in general, I decided to try my diaphragmatic breathing there. It took a few tries to engage my abdomen in my deep breathing, but once I got it, it was very easy – and very relaxing!
Breathing sounds easy, and somewhat involuntary, but deep breathing does take some concentration. Though, I imagine after a few weeks of regular breathing exercises, it will become quite effortless. As the exercises suggested, I envisioned inhaling clouds of clean, white air, and imagined exhaling nasty, putrescent clouds of black air. This took a few tries, concentrating on breathing through my diaphragm AND simultaneously focusing on visions of contrasting puffy clouds. This will be an interesting 5 weeks! 🙂
Once the weather warms up, I’ll try my deep breathing exercises laying down in a hammock that I bought just a few weeks ago. In April. When the temperature was 20 degrees warmer than it is now! 🙂 This weekend will be a good time to try it.