Hi lovelies,

I hope you’re all keeping well and enjoying this great spring sunshine. Isn’t it wonderful to finally feel the sun’s rays on our skin.

I’ve been keeping well at this end. A little tired post my recent Berlin trip, but massively impressed the travel didn’t bring on any fatigue or IBS attacks. Yay! Note to self; I should probably write a post explaining how I planned my trip to help minimise the risk.

Despite being happy and healthy, I’ve been feeling a little emotional and wobbly today, which has set off anxiety attacks.

It’s that tightening of the chest, shortness of breath, blurry vision, and breaking out in a cold sweat that comes over you in a split second, bringing with it intense feelings of fear and an urgency to escape.

I was disabled by these attacks for most of the first year post treatment, and found myself hiding in toilets a lot!

These days, I’m in a happier place, and have them few and far between.  Yet when they do strike, I’m equipped with some handy yoga breathing techniques to get me back to centre quickly. I use them when I’m at my desk, on the bus, public restrooms, or on the sofa. They are a quick and effective solution to an attack, until I can look at, and deal with the bigger emotional trigger that set them off.

Here’s one of my favourite breathing exercises, which helps with headaches as well as anxiety.

Sit comfortably. Preferably sitting straight on a chair, with your left hand resting on your thigh.

Hold your right thumb over your right nostril and inhale deeply through your left nostril. At the height of your inhalation, close off your left nostril with your ring finger, then exhale through the right nostril.

Keeping the left nostril closed, inhale deeply through your right nostril. Close your right nostril again with your thumb, and release your left nostril. Exhale out of your left nostril.

You should now be in rhythm. Keeping going, slowly.

Moving on, I will be hitting the gym daily over the next week to deal with this. Some days will be for exercise to get those endorphin’s pumping. They are the best anti-depressants in the world, and you physically look better on them too – what anti-depressant pharmaceutical drug can claim that?!  Alternating with yoga / meditation classes, to quieten the mind and squash the bigger emotional triggers driving the anxiety.

As for tonight, I’ll be spending it with one of my besties; with fresh air and laughter on the agenda. And may be a cheeky gin and tonic. Cheers! And happy health x