Changing Your Relationship With Stress
Contributor: Ashley Neese
Photographer: Sarah Kunst
As a breathwork expert and intuitive educator, it’s humbling to admit that I haven’t got it all figured out when it comes to stress. It’s important for me to practice what I preach to my clients and it’s also equally important for me to be honest about what my life looks like behind the scenes. Sometimes things get hectic, especially at the end of the year. There is always this push to get a ton accomplished and the shorter days make for a sense of urgency that I don’t feel at other times of the year. I’ve committed to taking a full 10 days off work at the end of December and beginning of January so I’m in this funny position of needing to hustle a bit right now in order to take that much-needed break in a few weeks.
Being a breathwork teacher working with clients for the last five years I am fully aware of the basics of stress. I know that high levels of stress do a number on your mind and body. I have worked with countless clients and seen how stress manifests for them. When I start teaching them how to shift their breathing pattern to bring down their stress levels, amazing things happen. Establishing a daily breath practice is one of my number-one keys to changing your relationship with stress. Just a few minutes of focused breathwork each day works wonders and the beauty is your breath is accessible and free!
In addition to a daily breathwork practice I have been taking Gaia’s Adrenal Health Daily Support to nourish my adrenals during this busy time of year. Maintaining a calm and grounded mood is crucial in my life and practice and I am all for taking care of my body from the inside out. As you know I am a huge proponent of organic herbs for sustaining a healthy lifestyle and when Gaia reached out to partner for a post about adrenal health it felt like a perfect fit. Many of the herbs in their formulas are grown on the Gaia farm in North Carolina that cultivates more than 6.5 million single plants, of at least 25 species, each season. They are with the plants from seed to shelf and have set the standard for herbal supplements in the United States.
Adrenal Health Daily Support has been my go-to resource for giving my body love in the middle of the chaos. As I am sure you have experienced, stress has emotional and physical expressions. The unique thing about Gaia’s particular formula is that it is designed to support the body emotionally and physically. It helps the body normalize the stress that is part of our everyday busy lifestyle. It includes adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha to tonify the endocrine system and holy basil to support a peaceful mood.* Schisandra berry provides antioxidant support and oats support the nervous system.*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.