What is straw breathing?

woman drinking out of a straw

Trick: Try Straw Breathing! Inhale slowly through your nose. Hold. Then exhale through the straw. Repeat 3-4 times. Straw breathing forces you to slow down your rate of breath; therefore calming the nervous system and reducing anxiety.

Tip: Carry drinking straws in your car, have them in your desk, save them in your purse or backpack. On tough days, you can use the Straw Breathing technique wherever you are to help find calm, center and focus.

Tool: B = Breathwork. Breathwork promotes healing by reducing blood pressure and heart rate, calming an anxious and ruminating mind, and relieving symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Trish’s Healing Story

~self care is an act of self love~ written in a heart

After my daughter died in her twenties, I ran for what came naturally, and that was and still is self-love and self-care. I have always been a big believer of self- care. I knew I needed to put myself first and totally embrace someone else taking care of me. I got massages, facials, pedicures, and manicures regularly, but knew I needed to bump it up a notch. I was unsure what was going to help my broken heart, but I knew if I was going to be a mom to my son, be a wife to my husband, and honor my daughter, I needed to double up on self-love. I needed and owed it to my grief to give myself the best care I could and as often as I could. Self-care was the main tool that helped me on my journey. My new motto is “Have you given yourself some love today?”

—Trish