If you remember, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to be mindful and start doing meditation. I’ve been keeping with that practice through the book How to Breathe by Ashley Neese.

This book was a Christmas present, and my mom bought it so I could chill out and handle my stress a bit better! I started reading it and working on my practice, and I am noticing a large difference in my breathing and ability to handle stress.

My favorite breath from the book is the one for Negative Thinking. I get so caught up in my thoughts, and they tend to spiral negatively and heighten my anxiety. With this practice, I can breathe through my first negative thought and work my way towards feeling calmer and less stressed.

My favorite tip from this book I share with everyone is the idea that your exhales should be mindfully longer than your inhales if you’re starting to feel stressed. I can’t do a normal practice, say in a meeting, but I can mindfully time my breath to start and calm down.

I just finished this book, and now it is time to really work on my practice. I am making sure to set aside about 15 minutes at night before I watch tv or read to just work through different breathing techniques.

I completely suggest this book, and if you have other tips on reaching mindfulness, please let me know!

All thoughts and opinions are my own.