posted by Kristen Leigh of Sweet Escape Yoga

This week, I had the opportunity to join Kim Linder, host of The Caregiver Hour, in the Clear Channel studios in Tampa, FL. Along with Viki Kind, I was a guest on Monday’s Radio Show where we discussed Compassion in a variety of ways.

Kim Linder (left) and Kristen Leigh (right) at the WHNZ studio for The Caregiver Hour

Kim shared some thought-provoking insights on how being an effective caregiver includes turning that compassion toward yourself in order to bring your best self to those you care for. Then, Viki shared some good stuff from her book, The Caregiver’s Path to Compassionate Decision Making on how to be respectful and wise when making decisions for those who can’t decide for themselves. And, finally we talked about how caregivers can take a moment – both at work and throughout their day – to de-stress and refocus their attention in order to help feel a sense of balance while managing their unique responsibilities. (Click here to listen to the 7/5/10 recording.)

Here are a few tips I shared (plus a couple extras) for simple, do-anywhere ways to take a yoga moment for yourself:

1. The first and most simple thing you can do is breathe. Seems obvious, right? Yet, when we get stressed in work and in life, we tend to breathe in a way that’s very quick and shallow or even hold our breath altogether (neither of which are conducive to calm). Lengthening your breath will automatically start to calm you down. Breathe deeply, using your diaphragm (meaning your belly should expand as you inhale), and fill up your lungs completely. Then, when exhaling, slowly try to release all of the air and empty the lungs. A wonderful tool to help you focus on your breath and away from your stress, is square breathing. I wrote all about it (and some optional meditative elements) last week in my blog post Simple Stress Relief w/Square Breathing.         (more…)