By Paige Leigh Reist | Posted: January 16, 2019

Do you feel totally overwhelmed by spiritual, emotional, and physical clutter? Sifting through all of the distractions to find your inner calm is much more simple than you might believe. This week’s Wellness Roundup focuses on creating a feeling of spaciousness in your life, whether it’s breathing with intention, unplugging your devices, or cleaning your house with intention, so that you can feel more clear in body, mind, and soul.

Proper Breathing Brings Better Health

Christophe André for Scientific American

Every meditation teacher will tell you that proper breathing will make you happier and healthier, and modern science is beginning to confirm what meditators everywhere already feel. According to recent studies, with deep, rhythmic breathing, you can:

• Reduce both situational stress and chronic anxiety
• Ease insomnia
• Stimulate the vagus nerve, which calms the system
• Help to alleviate the symptoms of certain psychiatric disorders

Read on for more detailed information.

Why You Should Spend a Weekend Completely Unplugged

Kacie Main for Sivana East

Constant stimulation and engagement has become something normal to us, to the point where spending a bit of time without our devices, without being entertained, can seem like an insurmountable challenge. That’s why Kacie Main decided to spend an entire weekend unplugged--no phone, no screen time, and no distractions. During her weekend, she came to a few realizations:

• We tend to overcomplicate things
• We put too much pressure on ourselves
• It’s hard to live in the present

Click through to read more on her discoveries, and maybe you’ll feel motivated take on the challenge yourself!

Sick of Fighting Off Winter Colds? Breathe Easy: The Health Benefits of Meditation Include Increased Immunity

Sejal Shah for Art of Living

Meditation isn’t just for peace of mind--it can have a huge impact on the quality of your physical health as well. One of the myriad physical benefits of meditation is increased immunity, which means that with cold and flu season in full swing, meditation can help you stave off coughs, runny noses, fevers, and even low energy.

“One study conducted by the University of Wisconsin showed that meditation may be more effective than exercise at preventing the cold and flu. They also found that if you do get sick, meditation effectively reduced symptom severity. Another study found that compared to non-meditators, those with an established meditation practice had higher levels of B lymphocytes and natural killer cells—cells the body uses to protect itself from foreign invaders.”

The Spiritual Principle That Makes the KonMari Method So Effective

Emma Loewe for mindbodygreen

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been binge-watching Netflix’s Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, and finding yourself enchanted (if slightly bewildered) by the KonMari method, Kondo’s quirky and emotional practices for decluttering your space. It turns out these methods are so powerful because they’re based in a few spiritual principles: namely gratitude and intention. Read on to learn three more techniques for making your space a sanctuary.

This week, slow down, breathe deeply, and approach both your inner and outer clutter with love, awareness, and patience.

Have a suggestion for our Weekly Wellness Roundup? Send your article to blog@us.artofliving.org.

Paige Leigh Reist is a writer, editor, blogger, and creative writing instructor.