Stress can disrupt so many of our bodily functions. Life is busy, hectic and money can be tight – sadly, we can’t escape stress, but we can learn how to manage it so that it doesn’t have such a negative impact on us.

When we are stressed we release cortisol, a necessary hormone, but when we are stressed for an extended period of time too much Cortisol can disrupt our body and lead to negative results which can have an impact on our weight, immune function and ultimately lead to the risk of developing dis-ease in our body.

Breathing can be an excellent way to help our stress levels. We don’t think about breathing, we just do it, but when we breathe properly and concentrate this can really help to transform our stress and health. Try this easy breathing regime.

4 – 7 – 8  Relaxing Breathing Technique.

 – Start off by putting the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth.

– Breath in through your nose for the count of 4.

– Hold your breath for a count of 7.

– Blow the air forcefully through your mouth ( to make a whooshing sound ) for a count of 8.

For the first month repeat this exercise at least twice a day to start with up to 4 breath cycles in one go. After that you can increase up to 8 breath cycles but please note 8 is the maximum.

There are huge benefits with building this exercise into your daily routine. It’s super quick and easy and it has great benefits. When you have established a routine over 4 – 6 weeks you can begin to use this in stressful situations. So, if you feel upsets about something, before reacting try using this technique. It’s also a good way to deal with cravings and an excellent remedy to help you fall asleep. If you find you wake in the night, but are unable to go back to sleep try this breathing exercise.

Keep going with this one – after 2/3 months of regular use, there are very significant changes that happen physiologically. It can lower both your heart rate and blood pressure, improve digestion and it is a very powerful anti-anxiety tool. It has the added benefit of not being a pill, which can be detrimental to our health, it takes no time and is easy to implement.

Another way we can address stress is by taking Epsom Salt baths.

Relaxing Epsom Salt bath (Magnesium Sulphate).

Pour 2 cups of Epsom Salts in your bath and relax for 20 minutes, you can also add a couple of drops of Lavender essential oil to be really decadent. Try to build this into your week at least 3 times. The magnesium will help to relax your body and the sulphate will support your liver.

Legs Up The Wall Pose.

Lastly, we can put in another technique to support our body.Try to build this into the evenings you are not using Epsom Salts. It only takes 5-10 minutes, ideally before you go to bed. This technique encourages your body to go into ‘relax mode’ and restricts you from feeling stressed while you are doing it. It supports your adrenal glands, is great for energising and aids digestion. 

How to do – Legs up the wall pose

– Start with your left side against the wall.

– Slowly turn your body to the left side and using your hands for support swing your legs up the wall.

– Lower your head to the ground.

– Pull forward so that your bottom is close to the wall, allow your hands to fall by your side with your palms facing upwards.

– Let your thigh muscles relax.

– Close your eyes and focus on your breathing for 5 – 10 mins.

– To exit use your hands to press your upper body away from the ground as you swing your legs back down to the floor.

And relax….

Build these things into your life and let me know how they impact you.