Build a Better Morning with Calming Breath Work and Purposeful Routines

Hello and welcome to MindfulMornings midweek motivation - the complement to Sunday’s newsletter: Start Fresh with Mindful Breathing and Break Your Morning Triggers

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Midweek Motivation

Tip 1: The Calming Power of Bee Breath

(Sunday’s tip: Start Your Day with Kapalbhati)

Looking for a gentler breathing technique than Kapalbhati? Try Bhramari (bee breath) – a soothing breathing practice that can help calm anxiety and create mental clarity. Here's how to do it:

• Sit comfortably in a quiet space (your favorite chair works perfectly!)

• Take a slow, deep breath through your nose

• As you exhale, make a soft humming sound, like a gentle bee

• Practice for 2-3 minutes

This practice can be especially helpful during life's busier moments. For a guided practice, try this video by Yoga with Adrienne:

Tip 2: Leverage Environmental and Time-Based Cues

(Sunday’s tip: Breaking Bad Habits by Spotting Your Triggers)

Our habits are intimately connected to our environment and the time of day. As highlighted in James Clear's book Atomic Habits*, recognizing these cues can empower us to reinforce positive behaviors and disrupt negative ones.

Begin by identifying specific times when you routinely engage in certain habits, and try to replace the negative habit, triggered at that time, with something positive.

To identify the power of environmental triggers:

• Notice where your bad habits are occurring, and note these in your notebook as mentioned on Sunday.

• Set reminders on your phone to jot down any habits you notice throughout the day.

• Actively take steps to change your environment to help break bad habits. Hide items you’re trying to avoid and bring to light those you want to do more of.

• Try to avoid environments you know trigger bad habits.

Something Interesting

This week we’re pondering this quote by Gilles Deleuze…

“The problem is no longer getting people to express themselves, but providing little gaps of solitude and silence in which they might eventually find something to say…. What a relief to have nothing to say, the right to say nothing, because only then is there a chance of framing...the thing that might be worth saying.”

Thanks for reading!

With gratitude,

MindfulMornings

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