You have heard it before, take a breath, breathe. I don’t know about you, but I was always a tad frustrated that after taking a few breaths, I was still upset and went right ahead and made a poor decision. 

the story behind my acronyms

So, how did I learn to B.R.E.A.T.H.E. for clarity and my health? By now you have gathered that I love acronyms.  They helped me during my years of studies by cementing important facts into my brain.  Well, I rediscovered their value during my recent weight loss journey and used them to keep me focused or help regain my focus.

You know what you need to do. Living a healthy life is the desire of everyone; yet, for numerous reasons, many have lost their focus. Your desire is still there to lose the weight, change the bad habits, and regain your “joie de vivre”. However, you find yourself still making choices that do not align with your desires.

you are not alone in your struggle

I was there. For years I struggled to keep the weight off until I realized my lack of clarity was hindering my focus. I gained clarity, shifted my focus, made healthier choices and lost the weight. It is ONE YEAR later, and I have kept the weight off. You may think one year is nothing, but for me that is tremendous.  In all my previous efforts I would gain the weight back in less than two months.

Acronyms are posted all around my apartment because I realized it is so easy to go with the flow on automatic and make unhealthy choices, they help me to be mindful. Step out of automatic mode and regain your health. You do not have to post them around your home; however, put one or two in strategic places (your refrigerator door, your bathroom mirror, or the door you walk through every day).

B.R.E.A.T.H.E. FOR CLARITY & YOUR HEALTH

BE STILL– choose a belief that is positive and touches you on a deep level.

RELAX– as you recite the belief out loud or in your mind, relax in the knowledge that God has your back.

EXAMINE– your BETS (beliefs, emotions, and thoughts) as they pertain to the situation or moment.

ACCEPT-gracefully the truth and reality that you are upset, sad, ticked off, bored, lonely, etc. Often you shy away from examining the emotion and think that it is so much easier to just reach for a quick fix.

TRUST-that God will give you the strength to make decisions from a place of clarity and compassion.

HONOR -your values with healthy actions as you are no longer blinded by the fog of your BETS.

EMPOWERED-by His love, you are set free from the momentary confusion designed to tempt or entice you into making unhealthy choices.

BreathinG is not only for oxygen

So the next time you feel overwhelmed, annoyed, or find yourself running on automatic and decide to just chuck it all and reach for that cookie or fall back into the bad habit that you wanted to change, B<>R<>E<>A<>T<>H<>E!  It is a scientific fact that taking a deep breath makes a difference in your health. Then remember, you are creating your emotions and feelings because of what you believe and think.

When you take a deep breath, expanding your lungs, you provide your cells with vital oxygen necessary for your organs to function optimally.  However, there is more, you change your posture and activate your parasympathetic nervous system.

You have heard about fight or flight; well, the opposite of that is the responsibility of your parasympathetic nervous system and you can tap into that calm when you learn to breathe diaphragmatically.

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