Bring on instant Zen with simple techniques you can do anytime, anywhere.
I’VE ALWAYS BEEN an A student, which is why it was totally deflating when I got a D (a D!) on the most basic of assignments: breathing. After monitoring my inhalations and exhalations, clinical psychologist Belisa Vranich, PsyD, author of Breathe, gave me my near-failing grade on this most basic of bodily functions, with just one small consolation: 9 out of 10 people are just as bad at it as I am. It turns out that most adults are shoulder breathers; when we inhale, our shoulders rise, engaging the upper back muscles. This type of vertical breathing only makes space for air in the narrowest, tippy-top part of the lungs, says Vranich. It’s the exact opposite of how the body was designed to breathe…and such shallow breaths actually send danger signals to the nervous system, spiking stress hormones
The result: “Your heart rate goes up, your blood pressure goes up, and your immune system goes down,” explains Vranich. Yup, even if you’re in the middle of a massage or sitting on the couch, watching the hilarious Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. You may be laughing, but your body thinks you’re stressed out.
This story is from the April 2017 edition of Cosmopolitan.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2017 edition of Cosmopolitan.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
the venuture
One summer 2009 night, Julia's manager pulled her aside. A silver-haired gentleman's date was being kind of loud and messy-Julia should intervene, be extra nice to him. She got the okay to take the man up to the roof for a quiet smoke. This guy must be a big deal, she thought.
VICTORIA
Monét fans are having a thrilling 2024. Almost perfect, really, thanks to the artist's seven Grammy nominations, including Best R&B Song, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Performance.
SOUND OF NOW
Thanks to our three cover stars-Kim Petras, Victoria Monét, and Kali Uchis-the future of music looks like something entirely new. More original, more exciting, more f*ck-yesput-this-on-my-playlistright-now. Which is exactly what each of them has been manifesting all along.
You Deserve to Take a Dating Sabbatical
And dare we say...you probably should?
The Chicest Places to Elope Right Now (Sorry, Mom)
An unforgettable vow-filled vacation with your soulmate vs. a lukewarm catered dinner with people you were forced to invite. Yeah, you get it too.
We Need to Talk About the Fentanyl in Your Party Pills
The potentially deadly substance is virtually impossible to see, smell, or taste and it's creeping into drugs you might have once considered \"safe.\"
I Hooked Up With My Friend's Dad on Vacation in Spain
It was an accident. It was also inevitable.
Black-Owned Is for Everyone
A friendly and very important-reminder from beauty editor-at-large Julee Wilson.
Becoming a Surrogate Impacted Every. Single. One.of My Relationships
It looks great on The Kardashians. But the reality can be...messy.
We Need to Talk About Perimenopause
It's a milestone health experience that may come for us all...so why are we so clueless?