17. Basic Breathing Exercises: Quick & Easy Ways To Center Yourself

Unlock the power of your breath in this episode of Mindful Life Changes podcast (formerly known as the Mindful Career Change podcast). Host Valerie Mekki unveils the secret to conquering stress and anxiety during life's challenging moments. Whether you're in the midst of a midlife challenge, career shift, or simply seeking inner calm, Valerie's insights into basic breathing exercises will change the game.Discover how your breath can become your anchor to serenity, helping you navigate the ups and downs of life. Valerie explains how these practices train your body's relaxation response, making you more resilient in the face of stress. You'll learn beginner-friendly techniques like Pursed Lips Breathing and Belly Breathing, which not only connect your mind and breath but also engage your body, keeping distractions at bay.If you're ready to conquer stress and embrace mindfulness,start your journey to a calmer, more focused you today by practicing these easy-to-follow-breathing exercises. Show Notes and Timestamps[00:00:59] Intro to basic breath exercises episode[00:01:39] Why is breath so important during times of change? [00:02:39] Training your body with breathing techniques [00:03:00] Tips to help ease you into a daily breathing practice effortlessly[00:03:46] Tip number one: Start with the short and sweet approach[00:04:04] Tip number two: Choose a specific time of day [00:04:43] Tip number three: Transitions between tasks[00:05:12] Two breathing exercises [00:05:42] The Pursed Lips breathing[00:07:35] The Belly Breathing[00:10:47] Priming your mind and body with a body scan [00:11:50] End You’re listening to the right show, formerly known as the Mindful Life Changes or Mindful Career Change. We’ve pivoted through the years, but finally landed on the right path: content for moms in the ‘Sandwich Generation’, because midlife disruption doesn't have to break you. New episodes drop on:Sundays: 20-min episodes addressing common midlife challenges with practical strategies plus a mindfulness practice (affirmations, mantras, or meditations)Wednesdays: Bite-sized episodes to reinforce Sunday's mindfulness technique & reset your weekMore from The Mindful Midlife Mom:Discover Valerie's articles on ohhellomidlife.com or watch her videos on YouTube @ohhellomidlifeThis podcast explores patience, meditation, confidence, presence, and overcoming resentment while cultivating calm, peace, mindfulness, clarity, mantras, and addressing loneliness and burn out; it covers boundaries, caregiving, guilt, affirmations, working moms, self-care, midlife crisis, empty nesters, empowerment, people pleasing, compassion fatigue, family caregiving, stress relief, self-worth, stress management, and how to shift from reactive to centered when feeling short tempered, offering tools for self acceptance, easing mental exhaustion, building emotional resilience, harnessing inner strength, and preventing caregiver fatigue for those in the sandwich generation through expert advice on boundaries setting.