**100th Blog** Alternate Nostril Breathing

 Blog Post 100! WOW 😁

Some posts during the stay at home order were memes or quotes to help brighten our days, but for the most part we have worked on mindfulness (or other student support related topics). I hope that you have felt supported with information for your students and for yourself. 

I would love to hear from you this week regarding what you would like to see for the next 100 blogs. What topics can I help address? I love taking a deep dive into mindfulness, SEL, behavior support, brain and behavior, and so much more. 

This week I want to take a moment to reflect on a topic of breathing and introduce a new breathing technique.

When we teach ourselves and our students to take a mindful breath we are helping the body with switching from the autonomic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system. This process is achieved when we breathe out longer than we breathe in.

Our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is our "flight, fright, freeze, or faint."

Our Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is our "rest and digest." This system helps calm and conserver energy for later. PNS decreases the state of arousal to help calm.

A great way to help trigger the PNS is with deep breathing which focuses on longer out breaths. One breathing technique you can practice is called Alternate Nostril Breathing (ANB).

ANB is a practice that will help balance the nervous system, help trigger the PNS, reduce stress, lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, and improve breathing. It has been said to help with cardiovascular function and lung function. 

If you would like to reduce stress, anxiety, worry, and rumination, give ANB a try.

Alternate Nostril Breathing:

It is just as it sounds, alternating from which nostril you breath in and out.

The practice itself asks you to take your right hand and pace your thumb on your right nostril. Then place your first and middle fingers on your forehead (between eyebrows). Last, place your ring finger on your left nostril.

If you are comfortable close your eyes and begin the process.

To begin gently press your thumb against your right nostril and breath in for a count of 4. Next place your ringer finger on your left nostril for 1 count before you release your thumb, holding the breath. Then as you hold closed the left nostril slowly breathe out the right for a count of 6. 

Next you breath in your left nostril for 4, hold both for a second, and breath out the right for 6.

That is one full cycle of breathing.

This is to be repeated several times.