Chronic stress and anxiety can be debilitating, with continuously running intrusive thoughts making it difficult to cope during the day. For some, stress and worry can start right upon waking up in the morning. However, much like positive affirmations, or gratitude journaling, starting your day with breathwork and meditation can have positive effects on your mental health.
This 15-minute session from PS Fit’s Marlize Joubert is designed to provide you some stress relief and bring about a sense of renewed energy and groundedness. To begin, Joubert starts things off slowly with a series of large inhalations through the nose and chest. Clearing the mind, she gives instructions on how to follow these deep breaths with light exhalations through the mouth.
Next, Joubert provides clear instruction on how to complete thirty breaths — strong inhalations and exhalations — instructing viewers to squeeze “every single drop of that exhale out.” The practice will invigorate you, Joubert says, in the video. As a side note, she mentions that you might feel tingles, vibrations, and even feel a slightly hotter-than-normal temperature, as this breathwork sequence works to energize you.
“You’re doing great,” Joubert says to the class, with encouragement. During the session, she gently reminds viewers that they are safe during this practice. As more breathwork and meditation is explored, Joubert continues around the main theme of being in control of your life, rather than feeling disconnected.
“What kind of positive feeling would you like to feel throughout the day? Joy, happiness, openness, love, maybe a sense of freedom, or safety?” Joubert says, instructing the class to pick one feeling that they would like to carry throughout your day. “If you have felt it throughout your life, bring it back from memory,” Joubert says.
Upon finishing, viewers may feel reinvigorated and ready for the day. However, if at any point later on you seem to have forgotten the lessons learned from this practice, Joubert reminds everyone to have patience with themselves. You can always come back and do the practice again, and other video sessions like this, on our PS Fit YouTube Channel.
Name: Marlize Joubert
Instagram: @marlize_joubert
Outfit: Beyond Yoga
Jade Esmeralda, MS, CSCS, is a health and fitness staff writer and a strength and conditioning specialist. A lifelong martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength and conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in exercise science and strength and conditioning from George Washington University.