This post is a part of our weekly email called “Presence+Practice”. You can have early access to this weekly content by subscribing to our newsletter.

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Presence:

Happy New Year! As this season of New Year resolutions rolls in (…and back out), we’re spotlighting our “Making Lasting Change” series. All five parts are available on the Second Breath app for free through January 31.

First up, let’s talk about why change is so hard.

This past fall, my husband and I decided to make some changes to our outdoor space. We’ve lived in our house for over 30 years, but never really paid attention to our yard. After thinking about it for years, we finally got advice from landscaping professionals and decided on a plan . . . but as soon as the project began, we started to have arguments about every bush, rock, and new plant.

I was stunned at our unbelievable resistance to making these simple changes (that we proclaimed we wanted!) and how this resistance influenced our communication with one another.

Then I remembered what neuroscientist Andrew Newberg, M.D. wrote in his book How God Changes Your Brain: Our brains are “belligerent” about any change in our lives. They’re wired to protect us, and one way they do this is by attempting to avoid any change—even ones as insignificant as a few new lawn choices.

When you feel the inevitable discomfort that comes with change, see if you can gently acknowledge your “belligerent brain” at work and invite a second breath to enter into your life. From this awareness, we can remember that we are actually always undergoing change and hold gratitude for it, as every new change propels us to evolve into new versions of ourselves.

—Ruth Anderson, Ph.D | Chief Content Officer

Practice

No matter the time of year, Second Breath wants to help you create space to change your life in big and small ways.

Whether you’re considering a change in your communication with a family member; a change in your volunteer work in your community; or maybe even a change in your outdoor space, our “Making Lasting Change” series will help your brain relax and consider something new . . . for a change!

You can find the “Making Lasting Change” Series Spotlight at the bottom of the Second Breath app home screen.

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(To try out this week’s Featured Practice, visit the Second Breath app on your iPhone or on your Android and find the “Practice of the Week” on the home screen.)