Stretching Meditation
Many of my clients struggle with the idea of sitting meditation. It’s hard to focus on our breath and allow our thoughts to come and go while trying to return to our breathing.
For some, this practice actually creates more stress, rather than helping them to reduce stress.
Another activity my clients sometimes struggle with is holding their stretches for 30 seconds so that their muscles can lengthen and tightness can be released from their bodies.
For this reason, I’ve been encouraging many of them to practice stretching meditation. It’s been a great win-win because they’re able to gain the benefits of deep breathing, mindfulness and a great stretch all in one activity.
Here’s an example of how it works:
While lying on the ground in a stretching position (ab windshield wipers for example), close your eyes and breath in slowly for 3 - 4 seconds and then breathe out slowly for 3 - 4 seconds.
While you’re breathing, body scan to assess where there is tightness in your muscles and allow yourself to breathe into the tightness.
Notice whether you are fully relaxed as you’re breathing, or are you tightening muscles without meaning to (e.g., neck, shoulders, etc.)
Notice if it’s easier for your to breathe in or to breathe out.
Practice this for 4 - 5 sets of your in and out breaths, which is approximately 30 seconds per stretch, and then transition to your next stretch and repeat.
You can do this while lying down or standing, but it’s easier to fully relax while in a more restful position.
To provide you with a bit more motivation, consider the following benefits of deep breathing.
Increased Energy: When we breathe deeply, we take in more oxygen and empty our lungs of more carbon dioxide, which gives us more energy by allowing oxygen to travel through our bloodstream to all parts of our body.
Stress Relief: Deep breathing activates our parasympathetic nervous system, which can help lower our heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension.
Improved Lung Function: When we take deep breaths, we engage our diaphragm and intercostal muscles and allow our lungs to expand more fully, which can help improve respiratory efficiency.
Detoxification: Exhaling deeply releases the carbon dioxide from the bottom of our lungs and stimulates our lymphatic system, which plays a critical role in removing toxins and waste from our tissues.
Presence and Mindfulness: When you’re focusing on your breath while body scanning, you’re in the present moment … You’re meditating!!
These are just some of the benefits you’re likely to experience if you practice deeper breathing while you’re stretching.
You’ll also be loosening tight muscles, which means you’ll feel better both physically and mentally.
Action Step:
Take 30 - 60 seconds right now, if you can, and stretch a tight body part. Breathe deeply in and out while holding the stretch (as described above) and notice how you feel afterwards.
Repeat this process throughout your day when you need to feel refreshed and more relaxed.
