This Sunday, as we tip closer and closer towards Christmas Day, take a minute to breathe deep with us. This breathing exercise, rooted in themes from the festive season, takes mere moments to do but can have a powerful impact on how you feel.
A Mindful Christmas Breathing Exercise
First, get yourself nestled somewhere comfortable. If possible, try to make sure there's nothing too distracting around: your phone, small children, loud noises etc.
Now, take a long, slow, deep breath in through your nose for a count of six.
Breathe out through your mouth, for a count of eight, as you exhale imagine there's a feather in front of your mouth: breathe gently aiming to just ruffle the feather, not blow it away.
Sink into a rhythm of breathing in for six and out for eight with slow, intentional, feather breaths.
Do this five or six times and then, on your next inhale, imagine your hands are filled with cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise.
Imagine bringing this handful of dried spice to your nose and breathing it in on your next exhale.
On your next inhale imagine your hands are now filled with fresh pine needles and rosemary stems. Cup your hands to your nose imagining the scent flooding through you.
Finally, breathe in for one more, slow, feather breath and this time lift your hands and inhale the familiar scent of your skin. As you exhale let the familiarity of that scent course through you, rooting you in this moment.
Intentionally relax your jaw, let your shoulders roll back and let your breathing return to its regular rhythm.