Shiatsu Newsletter Covid – 19, Self Isolation Staying at home, having the children at home, being at a social distance in shop and everywhere else and unsure about job and income. All that could lead to stress, worry, and anxiety and a possibility for depression. It is important having a personal routine and commitment for doing it during these days and following weeks at home. Start your day with the following two breathing exercises for reducing stress and anxiety and support your immune system. First Breathing exercise: Whole body breathing 1) Sit on a chair with your back straight to the back rest, and the feet are flat on the floor. 2) Close your eyes and look and listen into your body, and memories what you feel and see. 3) Now imagine your breath will flow into your body like you will fill up a bottle with water at the tap. The bottle will fill up from the bottom (that’s your pelvis) to the top (that’s your head). If you emptying the bottle, the water runs out from the bottom (your pelvis) to the top (your head). This is for the first breathing exercise. 4) Inhale into your pelvis and fill up your body until your head (your abdomen is moving outwards). 5) Exhale, emptying from pelvis upward until your head (your abdomen is moving inward) 6) Repeat this whole body breathing 5 times as slowly as possible. 7) Now again, close your eyes and look and feel in your body. Do you see and feel now any differences to the memorised one? Memories it again and start with the second one. Second Breathing exercises, “Box Breathing”: 1) Sit on a chair with your back straight to the back rest, and the feet are flat on the floor. 2) Inhale over a count of 4 3) Hold your breath over a count of 4 4) Exhale over a count of 4 5) Hold your breath over a count of 4 (end of first cycle). 6) Repeat the breath cycle 2-5, 12 times. 7) Now again, close your eyes and look and feel in your body. Do you see and feel now any differences to the memorised one? Do you feel now to be calm or be more relaxed? 8) Varieties of the breathing cycles, 5-5-5-5, 6-6-6-6, 3-6-6-3, 4-8-8-4 9) You can do this two breathing exercises 2-3 times per day or if you feel the stress or worry/anxiety is coming back. The third routine is named Makko-Ho/Imagine exercise, the classical Shiatsu exercises for stretching and balancing Ki, Chi or Prana in your energy channels (Meridians). Guidance: You go into the pose with an exhale, don’t force into the pose, listen to your body and possibility doing this exercises (6 Meridian pairs are 6 different poses), stay in the pose for 4-5 breathing cycles and with an exhale go out of the pose. Do this exercise 1-2 times per day. How to do this exercise: Watch at YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kduP24Sp2s (Makka Ho, Meridian Stretch Exercises)