Intimacy
We took a classic technique and added an intimate twist.
Clearly, they hadnt met me.
We decided to find out by committing to joint breathwork for two straight weeks.
To say its been a stressful year for us would be an understatement.
Something had to change.
Enter: a daily breathing practice.
Throughout the five-minute exercise, we made physical contact by sitting or lying next to each other andholding hands.
We hoped this simple exercise would bring a sense a peace to our lives and it did.
But the benefits didnt stop there: It strengthened our relationship, too.
Or my phone would buzz with a text vying for my attention.
Or Id start anxiously drafting an email to a colleague in my head.
As a result of these distractions, Id often abandon my mindfulness practice.
Thats where having an accountability partner can help.
Research shows that people aremore likely to make healthy lifestyle changeswhen their partners do, too.
Making this a joint ritual wasnt always easy or convenient, especially since were on slightly different schedules.
In other words, we learned theart of compromise.
Holding hands also causes your breathing to naturally align, too.
After 14 breathwork sessions, I can definitely say that we experienced the same positive effects.
Or maybe we couldve avoided that petty argument had we taken a moment to breathe in sync.
The Result?
The benefits have been so powerful that were hoping to continue our daily breathwork going forward.
So, maybe that meditation coach was right after all.
doi: 10.1007/s12671-018-0902-7
Zaccaro, A. Snyder, S. (2018).Brain-to-brain coupling during handholding is associated with pain reduction.PNAS.
Scientific Reports.doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03627-7.
Choi, W. (2008).Breathwork and Couple Relationships: A Qualitative Investigation.Journal of Heart-Centered Therapies.
