And stretch... yet another way to take a break from the screen and devices.

Follow my instructions to open up your chest, shoulders, and thoracic spine with this stretch.

There is nothing fancy about this, but done regularly, it will prevent muscle constriction around the chest.

There are three principles:

1) Hold for at least 2 minutes on each side (time under tension).
2) Breathe to relax. Inhale through your nose for 4 counts, then exhale through your mouth for 8 counts (to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and turn off the stretch reflex).
3) Relax into the stretch as much as you can (like a wet noodle).

A guided visualisation to allow you to embody a quality that will support you throughout your day. 

Let me guide you:
- choosing a quality as a word, 
- then feeling the word in the body, 
- then connecting that word and feeling to an image in nature 
- and finally connecting the word and image to an affirmation.

I chose to show up as open. So the quality and word is open, the image is a landscape and the affirmation is 'I am an open landscape'.

How do you want to show up today? What quality? 

Lets embody it right now.

By immersing yourself in nature, you will experience many benefits.

This English oak tree elicits a sense of aew and wonder in me and a deeper spiritual connection to something greater than myself.

How do you feel in nature?

Sure, here is the corrected text:

Tense, hold, release, and relax body parts in rhythm with your breath.

Notice how it feels when you tense your muscles, hold your breath, then breathe out while letting go of the tension to relax.

Practiced daily to create awareness of any areas in the body that are tense, it will soon become natural to notice tension and soften throughout the day.

#5 Connect to Mother Earth 

Notice how it feels when you give yourself the time & space to connect bare footed on the earth.

There are said to be many benefits from this practice.

I simply notice how it makes me feel: calmer & more connected to myself & nature.