featured topic ) WELCOME • CELEBRATE MANIFEST • EMBRACE CREATE • ENVISION • SHARE Deep Diaphragmatic Breathing Can Bring You Joy BY
T E R R I P E T E R S O N , S B F, T B F, R P H
When you were young, do you ever remember being unruly and your mother sternly saying, "Take a breath"? Perhaps her words made you stop in your tracks. Maybe you knew that you would get in trouble if you didn't stop. Perhaps you followed her orders and breathed deeply for a second and felt better. Your mother probably didn't understand the science behind her important words, but somehow she intuitively knew they worked. Breathwork is one of the most valuable self-help tools we can use to live a more empowered and joyful life. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped fibrous tissue underneath the ribs and is the primary muscle used for breathing. The longest of the cranial nerves, the vagus nerve, starts in the brainstem, goes through the diaphragm and into the abdomen, and is in charge of the relaxation response in the body. Deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which works through the parasympathetic nervous system to lower our cortisol levels (the main hormone produced in stress). This slows our heart rate, decreases our blood pressure, and can shift us from fight, flight, and freeze to a place of rest, relaxation, and safety. When our cortisol levels are high, our feel-good hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin are suppressed. When we breathe properly, we become calmer, our feel-good hormones increase, and we can access more joy. a
Try this 3-Minute
Daily Healing Practice: Get comfortable, relax, become present, smile, and place one hand on your belly, below your navel. Take deep, full, smooth, relaxed, connected, and continuous breaths, allowing your stomach to gently rise on the inhale and fall on the exhale. In just a few minutes, you will activate the coherent vibration of prana and start to feel more vitality, lightness, and joy. Practice this daily to get those feelgood juices flowing and find your joy.
Terri Peterson, SBF, TBF, RPh. Breath Facilitator, Teacher, Energy Medicine Practitioner & Soul Coach. For session and class info visit theconnectingspirit.com or call 651-442-4623.
Tapping into Joy BY
S C H A O N B L O D G E T T, CCP, BTAT
For the last month, I've been sitting here racking my brain thinking about HOW I can talk about "Joy" with everything we're still dealing with without appearing inauthentic, out of touch, and dismissive. I hear almost daily of someone within my family, friend, or acquaintance circles having a stroke, being diagnosed with some cancer, some heart/blood clot issue, or finding out someone died by suicide. It's overwhelming at times. Tonight, I was sitting here watching the opening credits of the final episode of Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race, and the song's lyrics inspired me. It was something Ru often says, "If you can't love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?" I realized it isn't just about Joy - it's also about Love and tapping into that. Depression and suicide are HUGE in the LGBTQIA+ community, even before the pandemic, and we are constantly looking to find not just Joy, but really, Love that ultimate Joy.
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S U M M E R 2 0 2 2 • t he e dg e mag azine
Something earlier in the RuPaul season also hit me: We get to choose our family in the gay community (and in the Pagan community). This isn't just limited to the gay or pagan communities; it's an option for everyone. So, first... ask yourself, "How CAN I love myself?" Next, try simple at-home therapy within Esogetic Holistic Medicine/ Colorpuncture working with the Zone of Joy. This zone is located on the wrist and is about 3 fingerwidths by 2 finger-widths near Pericardium 6 & 7. It can be activated by the color orange. You can also activate this zone using the Esogetics Relax Oil, a specific and powerful blend of 24 essential oils. Don't have the oil or light? You can try visualizing the color orange while rubbing the areas in a circular motion for 2 minutes. a
SchaOn Blodgett, CCP, BTAT, owner of Psinergy Natural Health & Holistic Wellness, has over two decades of experience and continual training in holistic mind-body, energy healing, and non-verbal health systems. Contact SchaOn at schaon@psinergyhealth.com and 612-217-4325.