Our first Mindful Monday is here! Refer back to the schedule..

Our first Mindful Monday is here! Refer back to the schedule (pinned post on my OF profile) if you're wondering what the fuck a Mindful Monday is ;) Last month, I shared with you quite a few breathing techniques to help me relax, breathe fully, and ease tensions in my body. I firmly believe that to find happiness, the first step is to reduce stress and anxiety. To me, stress and anxiety. If we can manage our emotions and reduce their impact when things don't go our way, it can make such a difference, and simpler things can make us happy. Happiness is a state of mind. I've discovered another technique, that combined with breathing ones, can be so amazing. It looks and sounds weird, but it does wonder for me. What is it? Legs up the wall! That's it? THAT'S IT! Why? Let's get the science out of the way. Putting our legs up on the wall increases 🩸 circulation by reducing the leg veins' pressure and redirecting 🩸 flow back toward your heart. This can also help with lymphatic drainage and fluid buildup to help reduce leg swelling. What's the impact of better 🩸 circulation? More alertness. Increased energy. Erases the detrimental effects of sitting or standing during the entire day. Trust me, it's cheaper than a Red Bull (as long as you have a wall at home), and way healthier. What else do you get out of it? You can combine it with belly breathing, ratio breathing, or pause breathing (I've talked about those techniques on here in the past month), and you can end up in a complete state of relaxation. It does WONDER (for me) for headaches. Some people say that it helps for better sleep, but I haven't personally experienced that effect. However, you will feel more relax than smoking whatever marijuana is available out there. Now, the last benefit can help a LOT of people, me included: lower back pain !!! This pose will help stretch the lower back and relief the tension. The body's angle reduces the curve of the lumbar spine, which will elongate and stretch the back muscles. Pressure is released from the spine in a supine position relieving the back from mild strain. How do I do it? I usually select relaxing music on Youtube for anywhere between 5 to 15 minutes (although some say you can do it as long as 20 minutes). I lay on my back, put the legs up, and I simply breathe. I try to focus solely on my breathing and let thoughts come and go. I have been doing this daily after my workouts for a while now, and I love it. It's also amazing after a long flight (not that it's a thing anymore). You get to the hotel and do it for 10 minutes. Your feet and legs will thank you so much! I don't have a video of me doing it, because I am no expert. I know that you prefer that I spend time doing another kind of video ;) BUT, one of my favorite yoga channels on Youtube has an easy tutorial. I'll leave it here, and maybe it can interest some of you. Are you suffering from headaches, lower back pain, or stress? Will you try it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OQEIiZLY-0