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The Energy of You Volume XX Issue #31

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Hi Reader,

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The level of collective stress in the world is overwhelming right now.

The divisiveness. The fire hose of information and misinformation that floods us daily. The uncertainty that makes our world feel like a volcano about to erupt, and our nervous systems are showing it.

This creates static in our energy systems. Functioning in this state is exhausting. It's hard to focus and even harder to truly relax.

As women navigating midlife in turbulent times, we're often carrying extra weight worry for our aging parents, concern for our adult children, anxiety about our own futures. The world's chaos gets layered on top of our personal transitions, creating a perfect storm of overwhelm

If you're feeling this way, you're not alone. And you're not broken.

And yet... small miracles are still happening.

The hummingbird still hovers over the flower, sipping nectar with perfect presence. A neighbor smiles and waves as you pass. The sun still warms your skin on a crisp morning.

These small joys are easy to overlook when we're caught in the whirlwind of worry. But they're still there, waiting for us to notice.

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Your Most Powerful Reset Tool

One of the most powerful tools we have is also the most accessible: our breath.

It isn't going to change the external chaos. It won't fix the divisiveness or stop the information overload. But it absolutely can change your physical, mental, and energetic response to it all.

What Breathwork Can Be Used For

• Stress reduction & relaxation: The steady rhythm activates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest).
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• Grounding & emotional regulation: Especially helpful during overwhelm, anxiety, or transition moments.
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• Pain management: Slow rhythmic breathing is often used in childbirth and chronic pain programs.
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• Meditation & energy flow: Helps connect mind, body, and breath; often used in yoga, Reiki, or mind-body healing practices.
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• Sleep support: The soothing rhythm can prepare the nervous system for rest.
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A 2017 review of slow, paced breathing techniques in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found they reduce cortisol, lower blood pressure, and improve emotional well-being. The following breathing practices are essentially a mindful, embodied version of this research-backed practice.

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Here's what happens when you breathe intentionally:

• Your nervous system shifts from fight-or-flight to rest-and-restore
• Cortisol levels decrease while feel-good hormones increase
• Your energy field begins to clear and settle
• Mental clarity returns, even if just for moments
• You create space between stimulus and response

Think of breath as your internal reset button, always available, never requiring special equipment or perfect conditions. For both of these place your tongue on the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth.

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Two Simple Practices for Right Now

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1. Box Breathing (For When You Need Stability)

• Breathe in for a count of 4
• Hold for a count of 4
• Exhale for a count of 4
• Hold for a count of 4
• Repeat 4-8 cycles

This creates a rhythm that feels like sending roots into the ground, provides a pattern interrupt and deepens your breath(often when we’re stressed our breath becomes very shallow.) creating a grounded stability.

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2. Wave Breathing ( For when you need to slow down or relax)

Wave breathing is a gentle, rhythmic breathing technique where you consciously breathe in and out in a smooth, flowing pattern that mimics the rise and fall of ocean waves. 🌊

Instead of jagged or shallow breaths, you inhale slowly (like a wave rising), pause briefly at the crest, and exhale steadily (like a wave rolling back to shore). The rhythm creates a sense of continuity, calm, and flow in the body. It helps to center you in your body.

• Posture: Sit or lie down comfortably.
• Awareness: Place one hand on your belly, one on your chest.
• Inhale: Slowly draw the breath into your belly and up into the chest, imagining a wave swelling upward.
• Pause: Brief stillness at the top (like the crest of a wave).
• Exhale: Release smoothly from chest down to belly, like the wave flowing back out.
• Repeat: Continue at a gentle pace, often counting (e.g., inhale for 4, pause, exhale for 6).
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Some people add a visualization of waves moving through their body, up on the inhale, down on the exhale.

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The Magic Happens After

Here's the secret ingredient: After your breathing practice, pause and notice something beautiful or loving happening around you.

Maybe it's the way afternoon light filters through your window. The sound of your pet's contented breathing. A text from a friend. The fact that you just gave yourself this moment of care.

This isn't toxic positivity, it's training your nervous system to recognize safety and beauty even when the world feels chaotic and uncertain.

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Your Daily Dose of Resilience

In times like these, resilience isn't built through grand gestures. It's built through small, consistent acts of self-care. A few conscious breaths. A moment of gratitude. The choice to pause rather than react.

These practices won't solve the world's problems, but they'll help you navigate them with more grace, clarity, and inner strength. And in a world that desperately needs grounded, centered women, that matters more than you might think.

Try this: Set a gentle alarm for three random times today. When it goes off, take five conscious breaths and find one small beautiful thing. Notice how you feel by evening.

Because spreading a little love and sweetness isn't just needed in this moment, it disrupts the stress cycle.

What small beautiful thing are you noticing right now?

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Be Inspired,

Cathy

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P.S. I've been working on a course on Mind-Body Medicine to support longevity for women to start in the fall (click here if you want to be on the early notification list).

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