Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

It’s the last day of the challenge! How has your week been? I have been loving the connection, engagement, and stories that you have shared. I’m always so inspired by you during these challenges.

Today’s challenge is to go outside, even just for 5 minutes. I know it might not seem worth it to go outside for just 5 minutes, but my experience is that if you approach it intentionally, it can be a powerful tool for relaxation and connection to the natural world.

How to Relax Outside in 5 Minutes

1. Sit under a tree. Gaze at the leaves above you and watch the sunlight filtering through.
2. Pick a leaf. Set a timer for 5 minutes and get to know your leaf really, really well. See if you can get familiar with each curve, vein, and color variation. See more about gazing meditation in this post.
3. Lay in the grass and look at the clouds. When was the last time you did that? Can you still find dragons and butterflies?
4. Practice experiencing the moment through your 5 senses – feel the sun on your skin, the breeze tickling your cheek, listen for birds, and smell the freshly cut grass.
5. Do something you always loved to do outside as a kid: find a blade of grass and make it squeak, jump in rain puddles, turn in circles until you get dizzy, run down a hill, or anything else that strikes your fancy.

[bctt tweet=”Be 5 again: Jump in puddles, turn in circles until you’re dizzy, or run down a hill.”]

Loving this Community?

You can get your copy of Starting Your Art Journal for just $3 and join the Google + community of the same name to share ideas, questions, and your art work. Click here to learn more.

Comment to Win!

You’ve got to comment to be entered to win the Starting Your Art Journal e-book or the portable art kit. Will you share about your experience getting outside today?

For official rules and more information, click here.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

The post 5 for 5 Self-Care Challenge: Get Outside appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

Hello Wonderful, Creative You:

How was your Self-Care Challenge day 1? I hope you loved seeking out beauty as much as I did.

Today’s challenge is exercise.

Exercise is such a vital part of a good self-care regimen. You might have realized that I love to run and do a lot of outdoor physical activities. For me it’s been important to have variety in my workouts, and company sometimes too. Given how social I am, it’s a big motivator. I think this is true for a lot of people.

Wednesday evenings I normally attend a track workout with my running club. I show up pretty faithfully, because while I am no Speedy Gonzalez, it lets me socialize with my running buddies while also getting some speed work. Last week, however, it was 90 and humid, I had been working long hours, and I was feeling the need to treat myself very kindly.

Instead of going to track, I went to the dance class at my gym. While I wouldn’t skip my precious track workouts every week, the dance class was a JOYOUS experience. I had forgotten how good it can feel to crank the music and move in unison: strutting, jumping, swaying, shimmying, and laughing. It was not the grueling workout I so value at track, but it felt amazing.

[bctt tweet=”Dancing is a JOYOUS experience. When was the last time you shook it? #5for5selfcare #selfcare”]

I realize you can’t go for a run, or even a long walk in 5 minutes, but there’s a lot you can do. In fact, as I researched ideas to offer, I was surprised at the amount of exercise you can do in 5 minutes.

5 Minute Workout Ideas

Low-impact: 

Take a short walk, paying attention to what you see, hear, feel, and smell.

Do a 5 minute am yoga sequence.

High-Impact:

Close your office or bedroom door, crank the music and dance it out. This song is one of my favorites for dancing lately.

This squat-pushup roundup sounds hard and fun, as does this circuit training workout from Skinny Ms.

Here’s a 5 minute standing ab workout.

And finally, my favorite online workout resource is Cassie from Blogilates.com. She is hilarious and totally motivating. She has a 3 minute ab exercise.

If you like what you read here, please share via the social media buttons at the bottom. Thank you!

Comment to Win:

Be sure to comment for your chance to win Starting Your Art Journal or a portable art kit.

Where do you find joy in exercise and movement? Do you exercise faithfully, or struggle to keep it a priority? Tell us about it in the comments.

For official rules and more information, click here.

Cheers!

Amy

Disclaimer:

Please consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. Mindful Art Studio assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained by or through the use of these links and suggestions. The information given here is in no way intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

The post 5 for 5 Self-Care Challenge: Exercise appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

Why is Making Art from Natural Materials Grounding?

Nature is evocative, intoxicating, invigorating, fascinating. Experiencing the varied textures, scents, colors, and sounds of natural materials helps us to slow down our bodies, minds, and breathing. We zone into the current moment. We leave behind the assaults of a busy mind, and are “grounded” to the earth.

How Do I Use Art from Nature as a Grounding Tool in a Purposeful Way?

There are probably hundreds of ways to do this, so please let us know what works for you in the comments! I’d like to share the way I like to do it, and what works for many of my art therapy clients too.

1. Take a nature walk. Even if you live in the city- there are small and large green spaces lurking…look closely.

2. Pick up items that catch your eye, even if you aren’t sure why they attracted you. Even if you initially judge them as ugly, let them “choose you” instead of you choosing them.

Need ideas of what to choose? Pick up: smooth stones, sticks, beautiful or large leaves, seeds, pods, flower petals, shells, acorns, pinecones, or anything else that strikes your fancy. There really isn’t a right or wrong with this.

3. Take your time. Try to notice as much detail as you can through your five senses. This, as you may know, is a grounding tool called mindfulness. It’s a great tool against anxiety.

4. Close your eyes and create the intention of letting go of stress and anxiety while making art. Sit with this idea for a bit and make it as strong as you can.

Then open your eyes and begin working with whatever catches your eye. You may also want to follow one of the suggested projects for inspiration.

5. Before you even think of judging your art, STOP! While making your art, and when you are looking at the finished project, resist the urge to judge it. (This is another key to mindfulness – taking a non-judgmental stance of observation.)

There really isn’t a right or a wrong in making this kind of art.The purpose is to experience, experiment, and create. You will do that just right, I promise.

Enjoy the process, and trust the image that wants to emerge.

Natural Art Project Ideas

1. Create a Grounding Stone – Watch this amazing tutorial from mandala stone master, MagaMerlina, I promise she will inspire.

2. Create a Natural Sculpture or Nature Mandala –

I created these funny little people just by using sticks, stones, some paper, my wild imagination, and a glue gun. What could you create with those materials?

This piece with the “bells” is by my lovely friend, Emily Pavidis, visualization facilitator for the Mindful Art workshop we are co-facilitating on May 2nd. See below for more details if you are interested in making this kind of art with us.

3. Create a Natural Installation – Get outside, let nature catch your eye and “play” with the elements at hand. Create a teepee, or make a mandala from leaves and flower petals. Let your imagination lead the way.

Artist Andy Goldsworthy does some of the most amazing natural installations, which he photographs and then allows to be taken back by the elements.

4. Natural, Creative Writing –

Take a short walk and pick up two natural materials that catch your eye. Now find a quiet space and create a short story or poem about the relationship, real or imaginary, between the two.

5. Photograph Nature in a Totally Unexpected or Different (for You) Way

Creativity Challenge #4: Make Art from Natural Materials

This is the creativity challenge #4. You can share about your experience with the community in many different ways – you can comment below, share a picture on the Facebook Creative Self-Care group, Tweet or Instagram your pic with #nomistakes.

Share with this Community!

Will you share your experience? What other natural art projects have I forgotten? Did you find the project helped your mood?

The post Natural Anxiety Relief: Make Art from Nature appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

I’ve been focusing a lot on anxiety lately. (If you missed my recent posts on coping tools for anxiety and panic, you can click on these links.) One of the things that I have noticed throughout the years working with clients is that guided visualization works.

There are plenty of studies showing the positive benefits of meditation, but for many who suffer with anxiety, getting truly quiet means battling an onslaught of racing thoughts, so having someone lead you through can be very beneficial.

Another way to invite that “singular focus” that defines meditation is through meditative art. Today I’d like to offer you a taste of how both experiences can help you reduce anxiety.

First, we’ll do the guided visualization. Then, you can pick up your meditative art printable (be sure to print it out first) and create some images about your experience.

Guided Visualization for Anxiety

The following visualization is 12 minutes of progressive relaxation and release. I hope you find it useful when you are feeling anxious, or just need a break.

If you are feeling so anxious that your breathing hard, struggling to focus at all, or feel generally panicked, you will need to do some grounding exercises before the visualization. See my post on panic for grounding tools.

Meditative Art for Anxiety

Now that you are (hopefully) feeling relaxed, it’s a nice time to grab some art materials – anything you have on hand, and do some doodling or “coloring” in the blocks. It will be fun to notice if the “calming color” you chose during your visualization shows up in your art.

Free! Meditative Art Printable: Click on the Grid

How to Meditate through Art

– Don’t make a plan for what you will draw.

– Allow colors to “choose you,” instead of the other way around. The green immediately caught your eye? Start with green.

– Don’t over think what do draw next. Follow whatever impulses come up, no matter how silly or “ugly” they might seem. Some of my best art experiences have happened this way. Of course sometimes the product is completely unattractive, but I’m in charge of the art. I can cut it up, stow it away or throw it away.

– Let go of your attachment to the art “product.” The purpose of the activity is to experience the process of making art.

– See what your senses are noticing. What does the chalk feel like in your hand? What is the sound of the marker as you move it back and forth? How hard or soft are you pressing? What do the art materials smell like?

– Play instrumental music, or music in a foreign language so you are not focusing on words.

I made a sample for you. I wanted you to see that you can do something VERY simple and it can be relaxing. For my dots, I used Q-tips dipped in paint. I was filling in the grid all at once, so I repeated the theme in different formats in various different blocks.

Am I missing any important suggestions? Will you let me know in the comments?

5 Minute Art Meditation

You might also choose to use the grid as a “5 Minute Self-Care Technique” and just doodle inside each block when you need a five minute break. You could do this at work, in the car, or at the kitchen counter while you are waiting for water to boil. It’s always amazing to me what a difference even 5 minutes can make in the way I feel when I invite some art into my life.

Last Day for Early Registration for Mindful Art

If you enjoyed the visualization and meditative drawing today, you will love the Mindful Art workshop. Click the link to learn more and register. Register right now and save $14! I’m really looking forward to making art together!

Comments

What was your experience with the visualization? Is it a tool that you use regularly? Do you enjoy meditative art? What important suggestions have I missed for meditating in in these two ways?

The post Calm Your Anxiety with Guided Visualization appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

Dear You:

I came across this amazing TED talk and just had to share it with you. I love it because it speaks to so many of the things that we love to talk about here: finding courage, recapturing creativity, and embracing our “weaknesses.”

So many of the anxious folks I see in my art therapy office suffer doubly because not only do they feel anxious, but they spend a huge amount of energy trying to hide it (which only makes them feel more anxious.) Does that sound familiar?

Here’s a story about a man who took an embarrassing and potentially career-ending “flaw” and used it to propel him on an epic creative journey.

I hope this talk and the images inspire you as much as they did me. Be sure to scroll down to the end for a juicy creativity challenge!

Creativity Challenge #3: Limit Yourself

I love this exploration of limits and how it can increase creativity. So in that spirit, creativity challenge #3 is to limit yourself.

Take one of Phil’s challenges: make an art piece that only costs 1 dollar, paint using light, draw with food, draw with scribbles, or any other challenge you would like to try.

Post it on the Creative Self-Care group on Facebook (click here to join) or on Instagram using hashtag: #creatvitychallenge#3.

The Beauty of Limitations

What I love about artistic challenges is that they really force me out of my usual patterns and comfort zones. I loved the karate chop technique, so I decided to give it a try.

I used a combination of chopping,  bending, and dragging my hand. It was kind of like letting my hand dance across the page, which was so fun! I’d like to do it again, but to music.

Which of the techniques did you respond to the most? What would it be like to follow his lead and highlight one of your weaknesses? Tell us about it in the comments.

Creatively Yours,

Amy

The post How to Be a More Courageous Artist (and Person) appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

A lot of us are scared. Worried. Anxious.

We have good reason; there is a lot to be anxious about.

Lots of things scare me. Terrorism, serious illness, growing old and losing the people I love. I try to remind myself that it’s the juxtaposition of fear and courage, despair and hope, desperation and joy that gives life it’s spark. We need the depth to feel the heights, right?

It’s hard to co-exist peacefully with fear and anxiety though.

Sometimes I’d like to pretend fear and anxiety don’t exist, deny them, or grind them into dust under my running sneakers. But I can’t.

A man I knew once told me a story. It began like this: “You know nothing scares me, but…”

I was astounded by his lack of insight. Was he kidding himself into thinking he was fearless, or did he think he was fooling me into thinking he was? I don’t believe in fearlessness. I’ve never met anyone like that, have you?. I don’t think that’s what courage is made up of.

Courage is staring your fear in the face and taking a risk anyway.

For some of us, taking a risk means jumping out of an airplane, rock climbing, or talking in front of a huge crowd. For others, our fears lay in matters of the heart. Exposing ourselves enough to be loved. Admitting our failings. Saying we are sorry.

How do we summon the courage to take risks? Over the last two years risk taking for me has meant challenging my assumptions about what I “can” and “can’t” do. It has meant writing this blog, putting myself increasingly “out there” and making my dreams of sharing the healing power of art with more people a reality both in my office and around the world.

For me, It all started with one question. One that I hope maybe you ask yourself right now:

What would I do if I had no fear?

It’s a very powerful little question, isn’t’ it? It got me wondering about what has happened for you when you have set fear aside.

What risks have you taken, even though they scared you?

“Failing” is scary.

You wonder: What if people think what I’ve done is stupid?

What if people think I’m stupid? Ugly? boring?

I’m giving you permission to entertain the questions:

What do you really want? What would you do if there were no limitations?

What would you do if you had no fear?

I’d love to know.

The post When Do You Let Fear Go? appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

By: Amy Maricle

This is part one of a two-part post on improving the quality and length of sleep. This week I will address “sleep hygiene” or how to prep for sleep, and next week I will address what to do when you try to fall asleep and can’t.

If you have trouble sleeping like I do, you know how incredibly frustrating it can be. At the end of the day, you are tired. You want to crawl into bed and go to sleep. Unfortunately, instead of just “falling” asleep, you are frustrated by various obstacles. Perhaps your mind is busy with your worries, your to do list, or an incessant song running through your head.

Sometimes even when your mind is calm,  your body isn’t. You feel your heart is beating too fast, your breathing is too quick, your temperature is not right, or you just can’t get comfortable. Does any of this sound familiar?

You Can Improve Your Sleep!

When clients come in complaining of sleep trouble, I have a lot of empathy for them. I know how it is! I have found through the years that many of my clients are lacking information about simple ways to help themselves sleep better, without the use of medication. This post addresses the habits that can lead to good sleep. In part 2 of this insomnia series, I address what to do on any particular night you are tossing and turning.

While my own sleep is not perfect, I have learned a lot about how to set the best conditions for sleep, and this has helped me, and some clients, tremendously.

Good Self-Care Is Important for Better Sleep

Be aware that your emotions and stress level can impact sleep, and unfortunately, the less you sleep, the worse you tend to feel emotionally. Practicing good self-care on a regular basis is an important way to keep feelings in check, and therefore, improve sleep. Read more about self-care, managing stress, and some ways to wind down.

Rule Out Medical Issues That Interfere with Sleep

A first step when you have sleep troubles is to visit your doctor to rule out any medical issues that may be impacting sleep. Once you rule this out, then you may want to take a look at what’s called your “sleep hygiene.” Sleep hygiene is the set of habits you maintain throughout the day that affect sleep. This post is part one of a two-part series.

In this post I will address good sleep hygiene habits, and in the next, I will talk about what to do when you can’t fall asleep.

8 Steps to Better Sleep:

Good Sleep Hygiene Will Help You Wake Up Feeling Refreshed

1. Create a relaxing environment in your bedroom.

Keep the lights low, colors soft, and the temperature comfortable. Keep your bed free of anything other than bedding. Do not store things on your bed. (I know this might sound crazy to some, but I have friends who sleep with books, clothes, and their folded laundry!)

If a pet sleeps with you, consider shifting Fido to his own bed on the floor. Trying not to disturb a sleeping pet,  listening to the noises they are making, or having to adjust your position around them can significantly disturb sleep.

2. Make your bed for sleeping and sex, nothing else.

Do not eat in your bed, have conversations in bed, write, or do work. Signal to your body that when you get into your bed, it’s time for sleep.

3. Develop a consistent sleep-wake schedule and avoid naps.

Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day helps your body develop a consistent rhythm that it will follow. Go to bed when you are tired. Don’t go to bed wide awake.

If this means that you push back your normal bed time by an hour and a half, but you sleep better, then you will ultimately be more rested. In time, you may be able to gradually go to bed earlier.

4. Wind down and get things off your chest.

Journal, talk to someone you love, or do art to get some of the stress and anxiety out before the day is through. Proactively “flushing” stress and anxiety an hour or two before bed can help minimize nighttime wakefulness. You spend all day being busy, busy, busy.

It makes sense that once you slow down, your mind goes over what transpired in the day and what you need to do the next day.  You don’t want to be doing this reflection in bed. Give yourself an opportunity to slow down in the evening so that you are prepared for sleep at bedtime.

5. Follow a soothing bedtime routine.

Avoid engaging in heavy discussions, doing work, or getting too active with house chores close to bed time. These activities may tell your body to override the sleep drive in order to get things accomplished.

Once the stress chemicals start flowing, it takes a lot more work to get yourself back into a state where you are relaxed enough to fall asleep. Instead, you might read something enjoyable, take a bath, or do light stretching, then put on your pajamas, wash your face, brush your teeth, and get into bed.

6. Follow the sun.

I don’t mean you should get too much sun exposure or start tanning. You should, however, get some natural light exposure during the day, especially in the morning.

Light is one of the major triggers for your body’s sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhthyms. Use this knowledge to your advantage, and get some natural light exposure during the day, and avoid bright lights after dark.

Keep bedroom lights low, and don’t turn on the bright lights in the bathroom as you are getting ready for bed. Also avoid exposure to screens for at least an hour before bed (TV, computer, iPhone, iPad, kindle, etc.)

7. Exercise most days of the week, early in the day. 

Avoid exercise  2 – 3 hours before bed. Exercise has well documented benefits for overall mental health and sleep.

8. Limit caffeine during the day and don’t drink any after 1pm. 

Don’t undo all your good efforts by having a coffee or iced tea at 4pm, or having something chocolately for dessert. (Remember that chocolate contains caffeine too!)

More Information on Sleep Hygiene:

http://sleepfoundation.org/ask-the-expert/sleep-hygiene

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips

http://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.htm

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/prefrontal-nudity/201112/fix-your-sleep-hygiene

Understanding Sleep Cycles and Circadian Rhythms:

http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/sleep-drive-and-your-body-clock

http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/sleep-disorders/role-melatonin-circadian-rhythm-sleep-wake-cycle

Comments:

How’s your sleep been lately? Do you have good sleep hygiene? What works for you when you have trouble sleeping? Even better, try out some of the sleep hygiene techniques and let us know what happens in the comments section. Nitey nite!

 Work with Amy:

Curious about how art therapy might work for you? We can do a free phone consultation to figure out how I can help. To learn more, go to my therapy page, call: 508-964-2029, or email: amymaricle@gmail.com.

Related articles across the web

• How to Track Your Sleep
• 8 Steps To Fall Asleep Fast
• 6 Things You Didn’t Know About Insomnia
• How to deal with insomnia to get a good night’s sleep
• How Anxiety Affects Sleep

The post 8 Simple Steps to Better Sleep appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

I have found that if I don’t want my feelings to completely run my life, I need some outlets for them. Sometimes five minutes is all I need to purge my worries, whether before bed, first thing in the morning, or in the middle of the day.  Being able to them on paper let’s me set them aside and focus on the moment.

Try this exercise:

PIck a time today when you are feeling a bit overwhelmed or confused. Find a quiet spot and write uninterrupted for 5 minutes about what’s on your mind. When you are done, read what you wrote and underline words and phrases that stick out to you. Pay attention to any needs that arise, and take care of them as best you can.

Tell your friends about the 7 Day Self-Care Challenge using:

#selfcarechallenge on social media!

Comment for a Chance to Win:

Do you write out your worries, problems, or dilemmas? What helps you get it off your chest and move on? Tell us about it in the comments.

The post Self-Care Challenge Day 2: Writing It Out appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

Control your breath, control your feelings

Have you ever noticed when you are in an emergency situation how you take quick, shallow breaths from your chest? This is a wonderful physiological response, called the  stress response, which allows us to quickly fight or run away from danger.  Most of us also breathe this way when we get into an argument with someone, have too much work to do, or get very upset. Many of us breathe this way all the time, which, over time, can take a toll on our body because of the host of chemicals released during the stress response. This is part of why chronic high stress contributes to disease. The good news is that you can instruct your body to get into a state of calm just by practicing some simple breathing techniques.

Belly breathing is a core exercise for calming the body and our emotions.  Try all 5 techniques to see which ones you find most relaxing.  Remember, while we emphasize movement of the belly while breathing, don’t think that your chest shouldn’t move at all, it should just move less than the belly.  If you are accustomed to chest breathing, it might feel a bit awkward at first, but with a little practice, it can begin to feel natural.

How to Practice Breathing Exercises

If you want to master these techniques, practicing every day or several days a week minimally is important. If setting a rigid goal feels confining, set one that feels like a manageable, realistic one. For example, you might decide to try all 5 today after reading this article, and practice 2 that you like at least 3 times this week. Or, you might decide to try practicing your breathing before bed, or during your lunch break. Connecting a new habit to an existing habit is a great way to be sure you remember to practice.

For any given exercise, start by practicing for a minimum of 10 breaths, and work your way up to breathing for  3 – 5 minutes this way. As you see positive results, you will naturally want to do them more, and breathing exercises will be another tool in your coping toolbox.

For all 5 breathing exercises, you can sit in a comfortable seated position with your feet flat on the floor, or lie down on your back. You may either close your eyes, or pick a point in the room upon which to focus.

1. Basic Belly Breathing

Place one hand on your belly, and the other on your chest. Breathe naturally. After a few breaths, allow yourself to notice which hand is rising and falling more as your breath moves in and out. Invite the breath more fully into the belly as you inhale, feeling that hand rise, and then fall as you exhale. You may focus best if you close your eyes. Here’s a great video demonstration on belly breathing. This video combines techniques #1 and #2 and asks you to extend your exhale twice as long as your inhale, but I think that as a starting point, focusing just on the belly breathing is enough. You can play around and see what works for you and your body.

2. Counting Breath – Inhale 4, Exhale 6

You may place your hands on your chest and belly as in belly breathing, or gently place your hands on your lap, either palms up to feel more energized, or palms down to feel more grounded. You may also choose to close your eyes. Bring your awareness to your breath. Inhale for a count of four seconds, notice the small pause between the inhale and exhale, and then exhale for a count of six. Again notice the pause as your body transitions between inhale and exhale, and then inhale for a count of four, and so on.

3. Forward Bend Breath

This is the simplest breathing exercise on the list. Begin in a seated position and fold over so that your hands are on or near the floor, depending on your flexibility. Notice the weight of your chest and belly on your legs, and how you can easily feel the breath moving in and out. In my practice, I have found that people either love or hate this exercise. For myself, my love or hate of it seems to depend on my mood, so you might try it more than once. If you don’t enjoy the seated version, try a standing forward bend, or try it in chid’s pose.

4. Alternate Nostril Breathing

For this technique you will be blocking one nostril at a time while you inhale and exhale.  Begin by using your ring finger to block the right nostril and inhale through the left nostril. Block the left also with the thumb, release the right nostril, and exhale. Keep the thumb blocking the left nostril and inhale through the right, block the right nostril with the ring finger, release the thumb, and exhale through the left. Continue this cycle for 10 breaths to start and work your way up from there.

There’s a video demonstration of this technique here. There’s also a nice scholarly article on how alternate nostril breathing improves brain function and reduces anxiety here, if you are into that scholarly kind of thing. 🙂

5. Ocean Breath (or Darth Vader Breath)

The last breathing technique is called an ocean breath, darth vader breath, or the ujayi breath. It’s an audible breath, which I think is great for continuously focusing your mind. Ocean breath is done through your nose, but you will start with your mouth open to learn the technique. Inhale, then exhale, and as you exhale, open your mouth and say “HHHHHHHAAAAAAA” as though you were trying to fog a mirror in front of your face. Inhale again, and now close the mouth, but continue to make the “ha” sound as though you could fog that mirror in front of your face. As you get it, you will begin to hear a sound on the exhale, and then also on the inhale. This one is a little harder to teach in writing, so I suggest you check out the video here.

All we can do is keep breathing …. check out this beautiful song, Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson

Comments:

Where is your breath taking you these days? What would it be like if you could harness it to have greater control over how you feel? Do you ever find yourself holding your breath when you are stressed out? Have I missed any of your favorite breathing techniques? Try the techniques and tell us about it in the comments.

Related articles across the web

• 6 Breathing Exercises to Relax in 10 Minutes or Less

The post 5 Breathing Exercises to Relieve Stress appeared first on Mindful Art Studio®.

This is part two in my series about ways to take care of yourself in just 5 minutes. You can find my last post here, which shows you how to use a portable art kit, and simple doodling methods to relax and re-energize. This week I want to talk about your self-care attitude, and a two more methods for quickly and happily lowering stress and anxiety.

Visualization for Stress Relief:

This is a five minute guided visualization. Sometimes getting your own thoughts to quiet down can be a challenge, so having a guide may help you more easily reach a relaxed state.

Gazing meditation:

Grab a rock, leaf, stick, or other natural object, and gaze at it for 5 minutes. Take it in with all your senses. How does it feel? Is it bumpy, smooth, flat, hard, or soft? Does it have a scent? See how much you can notice in the details – what are the color variations, patterns, and irregularities?

Self-Care Is an Attitude

You are really busy, right? I get it. Your job is demanding. You have a partner, husband, kids, pets, and meetings to attend. I have to break it to you though, good self-care is not about your life finally slowing down all by itself. It’s not going to happen.

Self-Care is an attitude. 

Yes, I am giving you permission to have an attitude. Despite what you may have been told, taking care of yourself is not selfish, or self-centered, it’s wise! There’s a difference between making sure your needs are met and fulfilling your every whim and desire at the expense of others.

When you prioritize yourself, suddenly little things shift, no matter how much responsibility is on your shoulders. You make self-care happen, because it’s non-negotiable. It means that you know if you don’t take care of your physical, spiritual, and mental needs, sooner or later you will pay the price. You may not be able to see it now, but the people you take care of will feel the difference when you have taken care of yourself first.

A retreat, regular ladies night out, or massage may or may not be realistic given your time or financial situation, but you can make 5 minutes for self-care everyday. What’s one small, relaxing thing that you could do to let go, or recharge your batteries? Here’s two methods I like for releasing stress and anxiety:

Comments:

What are your go-to ways to de-stress or relax when you are on the go? What are your challenges with reducing anxiety and stress? What was your experience with the guided visualization or the gazing meditation? Make 5 minutes for you to relax today, and tell me how it goes in the comments section.

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