Breath and Presence

Breath, and the way you utilize breath, can have a huge impact on your presence. We have all felt the panicky breath, stuck high in our chest, when we are in anxious or stressful situations; and, we have all felt the blissful, centered, and full breath, dropping deep in our bellies, when we are content and relaxed.
Our body works like a two-way street: how we feel can affect our body, but also, our body can affect how we feel. Amy Cuddy does a brilliant Ted Talk on this subject, which I mentioned in an earlier blog post (found here). So, if your breath habit is one that is stuck high in the chest, you are inevitably sending the signal to your brain that you are anxious and stressed. Similarly, if you learn how to breathe properly--with a deep, centered, diaphragmatic breath--you are sending the signal to your brain that you are relaxed. 
There are numerous exercises that can teach you how to not just take a fuller breath, but how to also take a more present breath--a breath that allows you to become more observant and ultimately helps you connect on a deeper, more meaningful level, to those in your life. 

This website (found here) walks the reader through one of my favorite Patsy Rodenburg exercises. I hope you enjoy :)