Overcoming Seasonal Stress with Just One Conscious Breath by Michael Wood

Photo credit: Eva Blake

This time of year is like no other. Right now, you’re in the thick of it. Along with the anticipation, the food preparation, and the gathering of loved ones comes expectations from near and far. The bar is high, and you feel on show – now add the care needs of excitable young children to the mix, and it’s no surprise that this is widely understood to be a time of considerable stress. At times like these your breath is your barometer.

So how are you breathing now? How would you be breathing if instead of reading about the season here you were caught up in the thick of it?  Would there be a difference? How you are breathing shows how you are feeling. Check in right now. Go ahead. When we rush and stress, our breath is often fast and shallow in our upper chest, this switches on the sympathetic nervous system which further accelerates our rushing around in reaction to everything. A vicious cycle kicks in.

But by taking just one conscious breath you turn a vicious cycle into a virtuous one. When you are stressed, consciously breathe low and slow into your belly – here you switch on your parasympathetic nervous system – you calm down, find ease, and start to respond to a situation rather than habitually reacting to it. The simple act of taking just one conscious breath is the beginning of your pathway to inner freedom.

How does this work? Well, conscious breathing is the bridge between your awareness and your mind. When you breathe consciously you are on the outside looking in. With this you get fresh perspective and stop the never-ending chase down the rabbit hole. 

Let’s breathe

Breathing Space: The Seasonal No Hurry Breath

Duration: Four Conscious Breaths

Response: To be here now

Outcome: To slow it all down

Wherever you are now plant your feet on the floor – this tells you your mind you are grounded and going nowhere for a bit.

Now take a conscious breath in and out of your nose. Were you in a hurry just then? When you see yourself in a hurry, you wake up to what you have lost. What was the hurry about? Your conscious breath brings direct awareness to the here and now.

Once you have remembered what you have lost, you are halfway there. Now with your feet grounded take three more conscious breaths in and out of the nose to deepen your awareness of your centre of calm here now.

Repeat as often as the season requires – don’t stress – know that between you and your breath you’ve got this.  

Debut author of Just One Conscious Breath (November 26, 2024) and the pioneer behind Pilgrim Breath, Michael Wood is a seasoned breathwork practitioner dedicated to promoting mindfulness through the transformative power of conscious breathing. With a deep understanding of breathwork's impact on mental and physical well-being, he empowers individuals to harness their breath as a tool for greater clarity, balance, and health. Through his teachings and writings, he shares essential techniques and insights that inspire a more mindful, centered life…one breath at a time.