Читать книгу Spiritual Facelift - Victoria Holt - Страница 48

Another tool to help you stay relaxed and stop you from thinking too much and acquiring worry lines is learning to breathe properly. I cannot stress enough how important it is to learn to breathe. When you breathe deeply, you have an eternal tool. You cannot stop your thoughts from coming; they will come and go through the day, but you can control your breathing. Your breathing will support you throughout the day and keep you connected to your soul rather than focused on your mind.

Even though taking a deep breath is the first thing we instinctively do when we are born, most people do not breathe properly. They run around, stressed out, holding their breath. They do not breathe deeply from their bellies, and the result is that they are not getting enough oxygen circulating throughout their face and body to nourish all their cells. When they focus on breathing properly, their facial muscles are relaxed. It is through the practice of breathing that we are able to be in the present moment of each inhalation and truly relax. Each breath brings fresh energy into the body, and the exhalation releases toxins along with depleted energy. Deep breathing provides a feeling of oneness of body and breath rather than a simple autonomic nervous system function.

Just as you have to remember to eat and drink regularly throughout the day, so you should check that you are focusing on your belly and breathing deeply so that your stomach is pushed in and out and your face is relaxed. This should be an essential part of your daily health and beauty regime.

As you read this book, check to see how deep your breathing is and how much tension is being held in your face. You probably clench in one or all areas of your face and take shallow breaths from your chest rather than deep breaths from your stomach. Learn to breathe deeply, in and out, and loosen your facial muscles. Unclench your jaw, a major area for holding tension. Now stretch the skin on your face; open your eyes wide; imagine chewing sticky toffee with your mouth, and stretch the creases in your forehead. Next, unfurrow your brow and make sure you allow your face to be bright and open.

Any time you sit at your computer, watch television, or read, check your breathing and the tension in your face. Shallow, tense breathing is going to be a life-long habit that you will need to break. You must become conscious of your facial habits and your breathing until your mind, body, and face have been reprogrammed and you naturally relax.