There is no doubt about it. 2020 has been a very stressful year for all of us. With the stress of lockdown came the added stress of managing families, friends, business and more.
In fact, we will even go as far as to say that 2020 is just one giant stress ball!
Increased stress means increased heart rate and increased breathing. Which, in turn, leads to feelings of stress and anxiety.
One way we eased the anxiety that came with this year was by focusing on our mental health and our breathing to change our state of mind.
Even though we breathe to live, we often forget about the importance of breathing on our mental and physical health and wellbeing.
Did you know? The way you breathe can affect your whole body. When your breathing is shallow and rapid, you might feel more anxious and stressed out. But, when your breathing is deep and calm, you feel relaxed, allowing you to de-stress.
Breathing exercises are a good way to relax, reduce tension and anxiety, and relieve stress.
Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. When you take deep breaths, it sends a signal to your brain to calm down and relax. In return, the brain sends a signal to your body to de-stress and rest.
Breathwork is a great way to get rid of your day-to-day baggage by taking time out for yourself to go on a journey within. By simply taking a few moments every week for yourself to mindtravel, you can escape the stress and anxiety of your daily life and travel to places around the world that makes you happy, allowing you to destress and relax.
Constant stress also has an effect on our intimate relationships.
Stress is a major deal-breaker in the bedroom and can have a major impact on sex.
According to Kait Scalisi, a pleasure-based sex educator, our breathing is one of the easiest ways to improve your sex drive.
“For many people, lower stress is a major part of having more intimate, exciting, and fulfilling sex,” says Scalisi.
A wonderful way to keep stress low and your sex drive going at a high speed is through breathing. Taking deep breaths is linked to the parasympathetic nervous system, the reflex responsible for the “rest and digest” response. This is why deep breathing is a wonderful way to destress.
Having sex when you feel relaxed and calm will ensure you and your partner have an enjoyable experience between the sheets.
When you take deep breaths, you also engage your muscles. In this case, deep breathing will activate your pelvic muscles, the muscles responsible for explosive orgasms.
During sex, Scalisi recommends breathing deeply and focusing on your genitalia while doing so to enhance pleasure. “As your pleasure builds, think about taking deep breaths all the way into your genitals,” she adds. “This will shift your focus there, heightening your sensation and making it more likely to experience orgasm.”
When we focus on our breathing during sex, we create a connection between mind and body. Sex is more than just a physical action, it’s an inner journey. To create that intimate connection with your partner, you have to journey within and connect deeply with yourself.
Breathwork allows you to do just this! It allows you to connect with your feelings and your emotions, both of these important to ensure meaningful relationships with your intimate partners.
Try this breathing exercise before sex to help de-stress and to get you into the right mind:
(JOHANNA, PLEASE INSERT A BREATHING EXERCISE HERE)