Week One Stress-Less Holiday Plan: Breathe Your Way to Health

This Week's Topics

• Breathing can help reduce stress

• Get ahead of the game and get Holiday cards squared away early

• Discover how Ashwaganda can decrease the effects of stress.

Breath is related to every physiological function of the body. It affects your digestion, blood pressure, mental and emotional well-being, muscle tone, and nervous system.

Here are some of the benefits of breathing:

• Can reduce blood pressure

• Calms a racing mind

• Improves digestion

• Reduces inflammation

• Improves sleep

• Improves mental awareness

• And many others….

First, become aware of how you breathe or if you are even breathing!

Most people breathe in their chest which restricts the amount of oxygen that can be brought into the body.

You can start to breathe correctly by first becoming aware of how your are currently breathing:

• Lie on your back

• Place a water bottle on your belly button and hold it with your hand

• place your other hand on your chest

• Take a deep breath! Then let your air out.

Which hand did you feel move first when you took a breath in?

If you felt your chest move first, then your breathing mechanics are inverted.

An inverted breathing pattern is mostly chest breathing which adds a lot of stress to the neck and shoulder area. This causes stress throughout the entire body. It even affects digestion, blood pressure, movement of the spine and can even increase inflammation in the body by elevating a hormone called cortisol.

The correct way to breathe is done by allowing the belly to expand for the first 2/3 of your breath and then the chest expands the last 1/3. Exhalation is simple just let your air out and relax!

So to get started with breathing it only takes a little awareness and attention to your body throughout the day. Here are 2 ways to start paying closer attention to your breath and change your health. Pick one and start implementing breath awareness into your days leading up to the Holidays.

#1 Box Breathing

Box breathing can be done at anytime of the day.

Pick a time that you can do it consistently such as first thing in the morning, before bed or after a meal. It can be done seated, standing or lying down on your back.

Box breathing is broken into 4 segments:

1. Inhale (4 counts)

2. breath hold (lungs full) (4 counts)

3. exhale (4 counts)

4. breath hold (lungs empty) (4 counts)

During your session you can experiment with breathing through your mouth or through your nose. Nose breathing has many health benefits, and is a good goal to work towards.

One last thing about this method. There are many ways to break the count down so do the one that works best for you. You could do 4-6-8, or 8-8-8 or just don’t count and just see how your body feels as you go through each segment. The idea is to do the method that works for you and don’t get caught up in analyzing it too much!

#2 EHOH- Every Hour On the Hour MindFull Breath Awareness - 10 deep breaths.

Here is how this works, you set a timer to go off every hour while you are working. When the timer goes off you stop, tune into your breath and take 5-10 deep breaths with proper mechanics. This is a great way to practice mind full breathing.

It is understandable that breathing EHOH may not be possible for some people so find a way to accomplish regular mindful breathing YOUR way! (what is regular for YOU ? not me or anyone else)

A daily practice is important when you are working on your health. Being consistent will create results. So committing to a daily practice over the course of many consistent days will provide benefits. This practice is cumulative and the benefit will start to accumulate the more you are consistent with it.

Enjoy and Breathe On!

Week One Holiday Action Item: Holiday Cards

Get your Holiday cards ordered or schedule your family photo now. Follow through this action item by setting up labels/addresses for mailing your cards. If you are interested in getting the newest Holiday stamp issued for 2022 from the US Post Office they will begin to be issued from now till the end of October, but put it in your calendar now (late October for Christmas stamps). Don't forget return address labels. Go ahead and print these now. If you write an annual newsletter go ahead and start drafting that and update it as needed before you send it out.

This months product Highlight: Ashwaganda Herbal Tincture

Adaptogens help calm your body's response to stressors. An adaptogen is a plant extract that is used to increase the body's ability to resist the damaging effects of stress and promotes or restores normal physiological functioning. This strengthens the mind and body's resilience when dealing with stressors. The benefits of lowered stress response is.

- increased digestion and nutrient absorption.

- more resources allocated to detoxification process.

- increased immune system function.

- more resources allocated to growth and repair processes.

- circadian rhythm balanced. better sleep quality

- adrenals perform more efficiently.

- brainwaves shift to a more analytical state. less reactive (increased concentration).

- inflammation levels balance.

Ashwagandha is one of the most popular adaptogens because it is so well rounded and powerful in its adaptogenic properties. Some adaptogens are more energizing like eleuthero and some are more calming like holy basil. Ashwagandha is in the middle. It is both calming and energizing, making ashwagandha one of the most balanced adaptogens.

A great way to use naCher CBD's ashwagandha tincture is by adding 2-3 droppers full into your cup of morning coffee! Coffee is a source of natural caffeine that gives you energy and stimulation to start the day, but it can also cause unwanted inflammation and overstimulation of your adrenals. This stimulation of your adrenals can cause an increase in stress and cortisol. Adding 2-3 droppers of ashwagandha to your coffee helps smooth out the caffeine experience by lowering cortisol, protecting adrenals and allowing for more clear minded focus.

While coffee contains a lot of nutrients, like alkaloids and antioxidants that can benefit your health, the stimulation on the adrenal glands activates the bodies fight or flight response. Over time this can lead to a burnout on the adrenals, causing what is recently referred to as ‘adrenal fatigue’. Ashwagandha as an anti-inflammatory and adaptogenic herb can counteract those unwanted effects on the body by helping to maintain homeostasis while providing mood and energy support. Watch this three part series about coffee.

Why has Paths In Healing teamed up with Roots Apothecary/naCHer CBD and why are we trying to bring these products to you? Stress causes inflammation and inflammation causes pain and dysfunction. Addressing stress and inflammation is at the core of Root Apothecary's product development. We also love the education they provide to their customers. Every product page has tons of information to support the reasons to use their particular product. In addition to this we have been using their products and have loved the results we get. From their CBD creams to their tinctures and drinks, we love the results we see and the results our clients have told us they have seen. Use the code PATHS to get 40% off your 1st purchase of naCHer CBD/Roots Apothecary products today.

^These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease. Please consult with a medical professional before consuming this product if you have any medical condition.

<>If you are pregnant, or trying to become pregnant, please consult with your doctor before consuming this product.