Breathe & Be
In today’s world, everything is fast-paced and ever-evolving, which can make it difficult to soak in the present moment and stay grounded. Learning how to slow down and take a breath can be difficult to do if you aren’t used to it. And although there are many proven benefits of meditation, not enough people take advantage of it.
Luckily, there are classes like Breathe & Be, which focuses on slow movement, breathwork, and reflection as you navigate the day-to-day. Led by Zareen Atiyat at Fitness By Maryam, the creator of Breathe & Be, it focuses on enhancing your spirituality and boosting your immune system, among many other things.
We’ll go over everything in more detail, but first, let’s list some of the main benefits of meditation and breathing exercises.
Why is Breathwork Important?
For centuries, breathwork has been used as a way to soothe the nervous system, reduce stress, and improve your mood, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. But did you know it can also enhance your spiritual health?
Meditation is important for many reasons, including:
- Increasing body awareness
- Inviting stillness to the mind
- Boosting circulation and immune function
- Building emotional regulation
- Releasing stored emotion
- Encouraging groundedness
Breathing meditations have been used all over the world as a way to deepen spiritual connection and strengthen inner peace. It spans across many cultures and faiths, from rituals in South America to yoga practices in India. The combination of self-reflection and slow movement produce calmness and clarity of mind with only a few short techniques.
For women especially, it’s crucial to practice regular meditation exercises to improve overall daily health. A study conducted in 2023 by the American Psychological Association found that women are more prone to stress than men, and that it also affects them differently. Knowing this makes it even more important for women to invest in regular meditation and breathwork techniques.
Breathe & Be vs. Traditional Yoga
Needless to say, you can come from any background and reap the benefits of breathing meditations. Yoga is deeply intertwined with the Hindu faith as both a physical and spiritual practice, and many of the movements are named after Hindu deities. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still perform them to suit your spiritual needs.
Breathe & Be, a class led by Zareen Atiyat, uses breathing techniques and meditation to suit your faith-based needs. It adds Quranic teachings to the movements so your focus is on strengthening your faith and tailoring the exercise to your beliefs. Essentially, it takes pieces from yoga traditions and turns them into your own spiritual practice.
Meditation is what you make it and what you want it to be. You can focus your attention to any particular thought as you practice your poses and breathing techniques, which is the cool thing about Breathe & Be.
Learn More at Chats with Chai
If you’re interested in learning more about meditation as your own practice, join us at the next Chats with Chai on Saturday, July 19th, from 2 to 4 .p.m. Ongoing classes will be held every Tuesday at 10 a.m at the Fitness By Maryam facility.
While enjoying a delicious cup of chai, you’ll learn more about Breathe & Be founder Zareen Atiyat, her goals with the program, and how it can help you achieve your meditation goals. Feel free to come with any questions and meet awesome people along the way!
We’d Love to Hear from You!
Any questions? Feel free to reach out to us via email, phone call, or stop by the gym for a tour! You can also check out our upcoming events for this month on Instagram at @FitnessByMaryam!
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