In the stillness that arises once you're safe and sound, it's natural to discover aspects of your being that tend to be overlooked when the tempo is high. Your senses suddenly open up to the details in the surrounding landscape, and as you listen to the swooshing of wind through green canopies, inner sensations also start to pave their way to the front of your attention.
Things we often hear people say after a stay at Grend:
I did not know I was stressed until I understood how being calm actually felt.
And…
Surrounded by nature's quiet tempo, I was surprised to notice the turmoil of thoughts in my head.
Overthinking becomes odd compared to stillness.
Both realizations are natural, and if you experience them, we want to invite you to do the following:
Start by noticing your breath. Is it slow or rapid? Deep or shallow?
And without judging what you find, can you accept that this is your current state? Take a deep, conscious breath through your nose, fill up the lower part of your belly, and see it all out.
Aaaah. Release your shoulders and unclench your jaw. Take another breath, and let all stress leave with the next exhale.
How does it feel?
Our breath keeps us alive, filling our lungs with fresh oxygen and emptying out carbon dioxide. In addition to this, it's also a precise indicator of how we feel. It turns up the pace when we're stressed or need to perform and slows down when we're comfortable and resting. We recognize the first state as prominent in urban domains, as modern life tends to carry us away at a hasty pace. Too many obligations and busy schedules can cause us to feel overwhelmed and short of breath.
But the breathing you're engaging in every second and every minute can also carry you back into a place of inner peace if you use it consciously. Conscious breathing can also activate the part of your brain that stimulates introspection, emotional regulation, creative thinking, and deep engagement in your relationships. Pretty cool, right?
Eastern philosophy and yogic traditions have known about this fundamental hack for thousands of years, and finally, the West is getting on the ball. Let us explain:
Your leading breathing muscle, the diaphragm, is directly connected to the vagus nerve in the back of your neck. This nerve is part of your autonomic nervous system and the boss of the rest and digest response, the parasympathetic nervous system. When activated, it lowers your blood pressure and heart rate and relaxes your body and mind, unlike its brother, the sympathetic nervous system, known as fight-and-flight.
A body in balance manages to regulate both of these systems by itself. We need the sympathetic nervous system's focus when doing something of greater importance, such as having a presentation at work, running a race, or walking up the aisle to our dream partner. It can also be activated by stress and triggers such as uncomfortable arguing, rumination, and intense tempo at work. Our muscles tense, we get super focused, and our blood starts pumping faster. The prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for creative thinking, reasoning, and seeing the bigger picture, shuts down because the body doesn't view these cognitive functions as necessary when it needs to "fight" or run away. Rule of thumb: a small dose of stress is healthy, but continuous activation is harmful.
We cannot be at full speed the entire time. Our bodies need rest and relaxation to recover between milestones, and this is what the parasympathetic system does; it helps us restore our energy. Lucky for us, we can start this process ourselves by practicing conscious breathing!
So, where to start?
For every conscious breath you take, you're learning your body to use this technique as a strategy. When practicing, volume and frequency are key factors. You can breathwork to running, the only way to get better is to do it often, over time. Plus, you wouldn't register for a marathon one month after doing your first run. Set yourself up for success when it comes to breathwork: take it one breath at a time. You'll have to breathe for the rest of your life, so no rush is needed.
Where can you make time today? Right after you wake up, or perhaps you can engage in a tiny breath ceremony before tomorrow's big hike?
And what's better than to start exploring the act of conscious breathing in nature's stillness in the comfort of one of our cabins? We've designed each unit to make your stay as easy as possible, to be the sanctuary of slow living in a world always asking for your attention. We tend to say that we'll start caring for ourselves when this and that is finished, but we constantly find ourselves in new turmoils.
A stay Grend is taking your well-being seriously and an invitation to slow breathing.
Exhale and relax.
We're looking forward to seeing you.
Here's an exercise you can practice during your stay with us:
Sit down on the floor or in a chair. Find a comfortable position, and put aside the idea that it should be similar to what you see in books or social media. Lengthen your spine, keep it straight, and relax your shoulders and posture.
Put one hand on your navel, and start by filling the lower part of your belly with air—like you're filling up a balloon. Inhale slowly through your nose, and hold your breath for 1-2 seconds.
Keep the shoulders soft and relax your face.
Exhale out of the mouth with lips in the form of a small o - like breathing out of a straw. You can elongate the exhale for between 3 and 7 seconds.
Upon landing the breath, start over again.
Set a timer for 3 or 5 minutes. When you're done, take a moment to see if something has shifted in you. If you don't feel any change, know that your body does!
