How to Deal with Anxiety and Stress During a Heat Wave

3 Minute Lunar Channel Breathing used to overcome anxiety, stress and overwhelm during times of intense heat and solar energy.

This is simple and powerful breath technique that I use as a go-to when I find myself going into overwhelm.  I thought it would be the perfect time to share it with this heightened solar energy that we're experiencing here in Vancouver as we're approaching the solar eclipse.

I've heard from a few students that they're not sleeping and they feel really anxious so this is a technique that I've used to lean on when I feel like I've taken on too much. It isn't necessarily that I need to do more and I need to remind myself of that. I just need to create a little bit of space so that I can tap into that healing energy of my parasympathetic nervous system turning on and this breath does that.

How to Do the Breathing Technique

All you need to do is take your left hand in Gyan mudra to access that innate with you. You can take any mudra you like however. Rest your hand in your lap. Left hand in the mudra. Right hand, right thumb blocks your right nostril and I like to keep my other fingers pointing straight up because I feel like this is a screen. (Follow the video above for more detailed instructions.)

This screen prevents you from not tuning into the Sun side at all. I'm blocking it and activating the lunar side, the moon side. So you breathe into your belly, fill up all the way, all the way to the collarbones with that full on breath and as you exhale you pull your navel to your spine to empty out all the breath completely. That's it.

You just keep breathing like that for three minutes. It's very simple. As you breathe in you can think about inviting in that cooler lunar energy to cool out the mind and soothe yourself and bring healing and intuition. I hope that you can try it just for three minutes.

It's great for overcoming addictive behaviors

It's also really powerful if you're having any addictive tendencies which we all have. This breath is really powerful for curbing addictions such as compulsive eating. Try doing this breath for three minutes and taking a step further as to journal on your experience maybe another three and five minutes afterwards.

-SJ