Every inhale brings in new life, nourishment and energy.
Every exhale is a release and letting go.
Our breath reflects the ebb and flow of life itself.
This quote stood out for me today:
“Sometimes you don’t realize the weight of something you’ve been carrying until you feel the weight of its release.”
When you find yourself tense, overwhelmed or feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. Take a moment and connect with your breath.
Do you notice that there is a slight pause at the end on the inhale as you hold onto the air? This holding on creates more tension in our body and it feels so good to release some of it in this simple exercise:
Take a nice big inhale and then sigh on the exhale. Really focus on the noise you can make when you breath out! Make it loud and long. The biggest and best sigh in the world.
Next, If this feels good, bring your shoulders up to your ears on your inhale and then release them down your back on the exhale.
You may want to bring in some shoulder rolls now. Inhale raising your shoulder up and then exhale releasing forwards. (3 times) Then inhale raising them up and exhale releasing them backwards (3 times).
The weight of the world is being lifted off your shoulders. As you practice this can you feel the burden releasing?
Namaste
Find Your Middle Ground 
An excellent exercise Val; it’s extraordinarily effective to use the body so as to affect the mind positively isn’t it? One thinks of how smiling lifts the mood as a simple example; it seems pretty much impossible for it not to work.
All best wishes.
Hariod.
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Thank you Hariod, Smiling is a great way to switch our mind state.
When we laugh or sing (just like the sighs) we exhale even more, releasing tension from the body as well as the mind :0)
Big smile!
Val x
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I love this exercise Val. So invigorating and freeing!
I like to invite myself to ‘open up to expansion’ on the in breath — it reminds me to not contract, to stay open and allowing of what it — adding your imagery of freeing myself of the weight of the world is powerful!
thank you. 🙂
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Love this mindful expansiveness and openness Louise 🙂
Thank you!
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Very good exercise! Thank you for teaching us to… breathe! In a way, you teach us… Life! 🙂 You know, I had my lef shoulder broken four weeks ago (I fell down on rocks…) thanks to God, I did not need a surgery… this week I’ve started physiotherapy and your exercise is going to help me a lot!!!
Alors, merci encore Val!
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Thank you Frederic. Vous etes trop gentile! I hope your shoulder heals quickly. You are lucky that there was not serious damage. I hope the breathing helps with the release during physiotherapy 🙂
Val x
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yes, I’m lucky, and breathing helps!!! Thank you Val :-)♥
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Very good post Val 😉
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Thank you Irene! Val x
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Breath is our connection with the NOW. Bringing our mindful attention back to our breath is very grounding . . . and releasing. Thanks, Val.
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You got it Nancy!
Hugs
Val x
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Great post Val. I have felt the reality of this quote with pain (only realizing how much physical pain I had once I experienced no pain) and with stress, the absence of it was quite revealing!
Diana xo
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Thank you Diana for sharing your insights here. It’s like many things that we miss only when they are gone …
Val x
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it also made me think about how we can’t know joy without experiencing sorrow…
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Yes Diana – fully experiencing life 🙂
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Beautiful, Val….what you said about not realizing how heavy something is until you let it go, particularly struck me this morning! ❤ ❤
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Thank you Lorrie. May the rest of the day bring you lightness 🙂
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I’m learning to enjoy breathing exercises and allow my focus on the breathing to help adjust my mood! Great way to start the day, thanks Val!
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I love reading your comment and taking a nice deep breath Kate!
Val x
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This post is perfect for me today. Yesterday, I discovered a part of me that I’ve been holding on to. Now, in the light of your precious gift of verse this morning, I’m realizing just how much weight I had been carrying without even knowing it.
Val, may your day be filled with Love and Light as you breathe into the flow of life.
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Thank you so much Tree! I’m glad you found some lightness.
Your words touched my heart. ❤
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Breathing out and lettng go of built up emotions has also kept me extremely healthy, so it has wonderful benefits all round. Thanks Val.
Karen
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Yes indeed Karen … Breathing fully is an elixir for health! Val x
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Thank you for your graphic in your post Val. It came at a perfect point in a text conversation I am having with my son so I photographed it and sent it to him. 🙂
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So glad that it helped you to support your son Sue! Wishing you both all the best ❤
Val x
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Val, I too have experienced the wonder of weightlessness once a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I agree that sometimes that can be mind over matter (meaning that there can be whatever is happening in your life and then there is how you look at it – two different things).
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Thank you for sharing Elizabeth. I agree, it is our thinking and the emotions that we attach to a situation that creates the burden and struggle.
Val x
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Thanks for this simple guidance, Val. Isn’t the breath powerful?
I have been part of a guided breathwork group that meets weekly. The experiences and clearing are quite amazing. Oh, it’s not about the group or the guide (as wonderful as they are!).
Simply breathing, and enjoying breathing, brings wonderful results. And, it’s simple and natural.
I sometimes ask myself how and why I’m not mindful of my breathing more of the time. Well, even that I’m choosing to let go.
Vincent
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Thank you for sharing here Vincent! Its the things that we take for granted that often allude our consciousness. Breath easy and well 🙂
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Looved reading this thanks
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So glad 🙏🏼
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