Why You Sigh

Do you ever find yourself consciously or unconsciously giving a deep sigh? Perhaps when thinking about a perplexing situation, a life-challenge, or a conflict?

In Chinese Medicine, this is a symptom of a common pattern of imbalance called Liver Qi Stagnation. Other symptoms are irritability, frustration, and crankiness. Causes include: things not going as expected, disappointments and unfulfilled expectations, and (in the words of one of my teachers) “being an adult.”

This imbalance is a type of pent-up energy that seeks release. We can do this inartfully i.e. snapping at a loved one.

Or, we can consciously use the symptom  of sighing as a “treatment” to release the stuck energy before it “leaks” out.

What is sighing, but a big deep breath, often accompanied by a bit of a vocalization?

I am a big fan of the One Breath Reset as an antidote to all manner of stress responses: stop what you are doing for a moment (and a moment is all it takes), take a deep breath in, hold for a beat or two, and then gently release with a long, slow steady exhale.

You can amplify the healing potential by including a conscious sigh with the exhale: “aaaahhhhhh……”

If you notice yourself sighing frequently, take this as a sign of needing to release some stuck energy and use the One Breath Reset, adding the sigh.

If you feel frustrated, disappointed, or irritable, do the same.

Repeat as often as necessary.

Sighing can be healing,

Kirstin Lindquist