true tranquiliT: breathe your way to inner peace

For the modern girl who finds that she’d rather be on the yoga mat than out with Mr. Not-So-Fabulous or dealing with her company's latest drama, here is a breath sequence to bring you back to balance:

Bring awareness to the breath. Is it fast, shallow, slow or smooth? Notice each inhale and exhale. Without altering it, just observe and begin tuning him (or the challenging situation) out. After a minute or so of simply being aware of the breath pattern, focus on your on the inhale, count silently 1, 2, 3, 4, and on the exhale, 1, 2, 3, 4. Take long, slow, fluid breaths in and out of the nose. After a couple of minutes here breathing four full counts, focus on drawing the breath into the belly, next the lungs, and finally the chest. Now exhale the chest, lungs, and belly. By placing your hands onto these three parts of the body, you can bring awareness into each area to ensure the breath is flowing there.

This simple breath technique can do wonders to restore balance and tranquility to a challenging situation. The 3-part yogic breath will assist you in overcoming the body’s automatic fight or flight response. Breathe fully and feel fabulous.