My Breath is more Powerful than my Ativan
Yes, you read that right. If you know me, you know I have been encouraging people to “breathe” & teaching Yoga for a while, and more recently guiding people in Take 5s, but you may not know why.
Why? Because my breath is more powerful than my Ativan and I want to help others tap into their power to heal.
Let’s start with Gratitude - I am grateful for how Ativan aka Lorazepam helped me through challenging times when I was first prescribed it about 10ish years ago. Little did I know I would subsequently be spoon feeding it to loved ones before they passed (lorazepam is the second most-prescribed hospice medication) nor that I would ever say "my breath is stronger".
Yes, I still have a prescription. No, I can’t remember the last day I used it but I know the year: 2020 :) If you're reading this and have (or have ever had) a similar bottle, yay we have something in common, as do nearly 3 million others - I wonder what the stats are now in 2021? Now drop any judgement you have on yourself for having it (this one took me a while).
So how is it better or more powerful?
Here are my top 5 reasons my breath is more Powerful than my Ativan/Lorazepam:
5. I feel the effects faster. (Yes I have tried crushing the little pill and letting it quickly dissolve under my tongue and into my bloodstream) but 5 cycles of one of my favorite breathing exercises is even faster.
4. It's easier to access. Anytime, anywhere, even if I don’t have my purse close with its little “just in case” container inside I have access to it.
3. It's free. Fancy that, it costs Zero dollars. Zip, Zilch, Zero.
2. No hangover. My breath has never left me groggy for the next day or two after I use it. Not once. I can’t say the same for the little white pill even when I've cut it in half.
1. It’s in-sourced. How often have I outsourced my health? Discussing that would take more time than we have got. There is truly nothing like the empowerment of knowing your power to heal comes from within. That wasn’t a quick discovery, nor one that came without a lot of work, therapy and research (and daily meditation). Taking the reins back on my anxiety has quite literally been one breath at a time. I wouldn't trade this power for anything.
Ready to give it a try?
Here’s this month’s featured Take 5 where I share one of the breathing practices I use daily. Yes, daily.
A simple yet powerful breath technique where we work towards breathing at five full cycles of breath a minute. The normal respiration rate for an adult at rest is 12 to 20 cycles per minute. Shown to calm the nervous system and increase heart rate variability.
Want more like this?
Take 5 members have access to all the videos in the Take 5 library. If you lead a team now's a great time to consider a work team plan for your business.
Yoga for Down Syndrome Awareness
While most October events had to be rescheduled this one is still a go. We might be on the patio rather than the grass should it rain. Join me this Sunday the 24th at 10 am at beautiful Fäsi Estate Winery 20 minutes north of Fresno for a beginner friendly gentle yoga class. Class is free to attend - any donations provided will go directly to the Down Syndrome Association of Central California. If you don't own a mat bring a towel. If you have ever wanted to try but it haven't - here is your chance.
Thanks and stay tuned, the Take 5 Stretch & Breath Breaks App should be available in both the Apple and Google play stores the next few weeks.