Bonus materiaal

HOW TO INTEGRATE A NEW HABIT IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE

What do you think is the most important factor for lasting change? Motivation? Determination? Willpower? Nope! Turns out, lasting change actually doesn’t start with grand resolutions, but with a very simple, very small behaviour change. But no behaviour change starts without a prompt. And a very effective way to create a prompt is to ANCHOR your starter step to come after an existing habit.

Establish a fixed time and place where you’re going to practice these breath sets. You can practice them at any time of the day or evening, but the ideal time is first thing in the morning. The benefits are enhanced when your mind is free and clear before the stresses of the day have crept in. It sets a tone of calm, focus and an overall sense of well-being for your entire day. You’re going to feel like you’re in charge of your day instead of chasing it.

Prompt examples could be: after getting up and brushing your teeth, or after getting up and drinking a glass of water, I don’t know how your regular morning routine looks like…  or right after you’ve put on your pyjamas to go to bed if you really don’t feel like getting up earlier in the morning. Definitely experiment with different time frames, test and tweak and see what works best for you. But for the time of our sessions together, and for you to experience the full range of benefits, I’d like to encourage you to practice the breath sets in the morning.

Choose a place where you won’t be disturbed. It’s important to breathe or meditate in a space where no one else will come in and interrupt you. 

Breath set day 1: ocean breath, breath of fire and the 2 x breath

This breath set is the first mindful breathing lesson of my 10 day online course.

We usually practice mindful breathing as breath sets. Each breath set is built on 3 pillars: balancing, energizing and relaxing breathing techniques. Within these 3 pillars there are numerous variations.  They all help you gain control over your mental and physical state.

My goal is to create a framework for self-sustainability and self-accountability, so you can self-regulate and support your own mental and physical health and in particular your nervous system.

Bonus talk 1: The science behind mindful breathing

You’ll learn the how and the why behind the how. When you become aware of what’s going on in your body, it can give you peace, calmness and presence when you practice. 

We’ll talk about

- Why most people breathe too fast, too shallow and backwards. You’ll learn the basic principles of correct breathing so you can catch harmful breathing patterns throughout the day and flip them around instantly.

- Why mindful breathing gives you tremendous power over your autonomic nervous system.

- The largest nerve in the body and why you want to become its best friend.

- Why O2 and CO2 are both important when it comes to breathing

- Why it’s essential to gain control over your breath

and much more!

Bonus material

These daily 5 - 10 min breath sets count as your one NS check-in, your one simple NS-reset every day. They can really have a cascading effect on your mood, presence, performance… and have an overall positive effect in your life.

Listen

Breath set: ocean breath and 2 x breath

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Breath set: alternate nostril breathing and 2 x breath with breath retention

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Breath set: triangle breath and 2 x breath

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Breath set: box breathing and breath of light

Listen

Breath set: box breathing and 2 x breath

Read

A practical guide to help you integrate this session.