Our lives are frantic.
From the moment our feet hit the floor we are off and running. Caring for our kids, climbing the corporate ladder, racing to the lake to “relax” for the weekend mowing, cleaning, raking, grilling…then racing back home to do more mowing, cleaning, raking, cooking, shopping — running, running, running.
When do we take a breather?
Did you know that simple, natural, restorative breathing is critical to our health? Breathing is so important, that it’s one of our core elements here at Rejuv.
Breathing should come naturally. As babies, we likely all did it perfectly. Watch a sleeping baby and note how she breathes in through her nose expanding her little belly and chest and out softly and slowly. As time marches on, we lose that instinctive diaphragmatic breathing and become thoracic, short-breath squirrel breathers. That happens as we react to stress, anxiety, pollution, noise and, believe it or not, sucking in our saggy tummies to look slim.
That swift, shallow breathing sets off our sympathetic nervous system which skyrockets stress from symptom to habit. If we keep that habit for too long, it can actually decrease our lymphocytes which are our white blood cells that help protect us from invading disease. Short breaths can cause panic attacks because our bodies are in a constant state of alert. We have lower oxygen levels too which affects everything from our metabolism to our muscles.
Deep, diaphragmatic breathing restores that oxygen flow and offers a pressure release valve for that stinky stress to escape. It lets us let loose our bellies and restores a natural rhythm in our internal organs. It triggers our parasympathetic nervous system which allows for rest and repair. It’s how we were born to breathe!
One of the ways we get deep breathing back into your life here at Rejuv Medical is through our yoga classes. Yoga is based in breathing. In fact, “yoga” means the union of body, mind and soul and uses breathing techniques along with asanas, which are those unique yoga positions, to help people achieve a sense of peace, can improve their mental fortitude plus enhance physical flexibility and strength.
We recently invited in a group of gals from a neighboring business, Reliable Premium Management, to come to Rejuv Medical to take a private yoga class. They were different from one another, but similar in a few ways as well. They were all different ages and sizes and had different stress levels and health and fitness levels. What they did have in common is a great team bond in an office environment where they pretty much sit at a computer and telephone all day, five days a week and type and talk. Boy can a bunch of us relate to that! We had done a lunch and learn with this crew a few weeks prior so they knew a little bit about what they were getting themselves into with the yoga, but for the most part, they just wanted to do something fun together over a Thursday lunch. What they experiences was…well, pretty special.
Here’s what they had to say:
“I have been dealing with vertigo and the yoga session helped me to relax my mind and my body. I went back to work with more energy and my body was a whole lot more comfortable ( we sit in chairs all day, so it was wonderful to stretch all those muscles that are carrying tension)Thank you for offering this. What a wonderful program! Wellness at Work is a great idea. Stay well at home AND at work – Lovely.” – Allie
“Attending Yoga with my co-workers was really enjoyable! It felt great to be able to relax with them in a safe and comfortable setting. We were able to locate tension in our bodies and release it before going back to work and finishing out the workday. You don’t realize how much stress and tension you’re carrying until you practice some Yoga!” – Crystal
“I am so thankful that we were able to bring a few of our employees over to Rejuv for that half hour of Yoga yesterday. It was a wonderful introduction to your facility and gave some of us an opportunity to experience something that we’ve maybe never experienced before. I’ve personally tried yoga at home watching YouTube videos however it’s much more relaxing a class atmosphere with an instructor providing you with tips on technique and helping to guide your breathing. The stretches that we did in just that little half-hour experience helped me to go back to the office feeling so much more refreshed, focused and able to tackle the rest of my work day. Great reminder of how important it is to stretch and breathe. I truly wish all of the gals at the office would have joined the class however this is a step in the right direction. We truly appreciate this opportunity that you gave us and look forward to coming back for more in the future.” – Tina
“Thanks for the awesome yoga yesterday!!! I loved it. It was so relaxing and much easier to get started with than I had anticipated. Even though the class was relaxing, it actually gave me energy. I’m not sure if it was the music, the atmosphere, the breathing, moving slowly and gently (Because at 53, I wasn’t sure I could do something strenuous!!! 😊) Totally doable, fun and refreshing!!!!” – Kathy
“I would like to thank you and your team at Rejuv for the wonderful Yoga class yesterday. Last night I was able to actually sleep through the night without waking up a million times because of my back. I am so thankful I was able to do this class with my co-workers; I have always wanted to try yoga but was too intimated to go to a yoga class alone so this was the perfect opportunity.” – Katelyn