Just Breathe!

Photo taken from Pure Nourishment.

I can't believe our WomenHeart of West LA support group has been up and running for over five months now!  I'm constantly inspired by my amazing heart sisters and friends.  Someone asked me the other day why I volunteer so much time to providing support for heart disease survivors.


The answer's really simple.  When I was diagnosed with heart failure at 25, I was surrounded by family and friends, but still felt completely isolated and alone.  Let's face it, I was already going through my quarter-life crises, dating, figuring out my career path, heart disease was the last thing anyone really wanted to talk about.  Meeting these women has opened my heart.  They give me courage and remind me how far I've come as a survivor.  

In addition to peer led support, we also offer education at our WomenHeart of West LA support group.  Last month we had a pharmacist who specializes in heart medications.  This month we wanted to change it up a little.  Jenny Miller, my good friend and breathwork instructor, taught us about the importance of relaxation through breathing.


We have a diverse group of women so I wasn't sure how they would respond, but at the end everyone was relaxed and open to this easy alternative to stress reduction.  Jenny trained under David Elliot.  Last year I featured Jenny on a webisode called Relaxation Through Breathwork.  It's all about the belly breathing.  


So next time you find yourself stressing out and your heart racing, take a step back and breathe!