Stress is an energy that compounds in the body, leading to discomfort, distress, or even debilitating pain. When we experience stress but don’t know how to release its energy, it tends to accumulate in the core of our body—above the stomach and beneath the lungs—in an area called the solar plexus.

Because of this specific location, accumulated stress energy can affect the digestive system, leading to nausea, cramping, or other digestive issues. It can also impact everything above the solar plexus, including the heart and lungs, triggering an increased heart rate, hypertension, and shortness of breath. Over time, this buildup of stress energy can take a serious toll on our physical and emotional well-being. Left unchecked, it can lead to chronic health conditions, emotional imbalance, and fatigue. Stress is literally a killer.

A Simple, Free, and Effective Solution
The solution is not medication—although in some cases, medical support may be helpful depending on your individual needs. The real solution is free, easy, and takes just 10 minutes a day. If you’ve accepted stress as a constant in your life, this simple practice can change everything.

The answer? Diaphragmatic breathing.

My First Experience with Diaphragmatic Breathing
I first learned about this technique in my early 30s. At the time, I had two approaches to handling stress: toughing it out and hoping for a better day, or numbing the effects of stress with drugs or alcohol. Then, one day, while flipping through a general health encyclopedia out of boredom, I stumbled upon this simple breathing method and decided to give it a try.

The essence of diaphragmatic breathing is simple:

There is a single word used in many spiritual practices that changes everything. It is a guiding light, no matter your beliefs, that, if you choose to adopt, can and will change the world. While I don’t mean to be overly dramatic, given the divisiveness that pervades humanity at this moment, I believe this statement is actually understated rather than overstated. That word is "oneness."

Perhaps you’ve heard of it, perhaps not. It’s one of those words that, on the surface, we can interpret, say we understand, and then move on. But the real power comes in examining it further—meditating on it, contemplating it, or at the very least, letting it sit in your mind for a day and observing how it impacts your actions. Oxford’s definition captures its essence beautifully: “the fact or state of being unified or whole, though comprised of two or more parts.”

There is no denying that, on a human level, there are at least two parts at play right now. No matter which "side" you are on, human nature makes it easy to quickly recognize those who are not on our side. Yes, politics amplify this message right now. But oneness tells us that there are not two sides—that despite our differences, we are one.

A simple way to think about it is that humanity is like a single body—Republicans the right arm, Democrats the left arm, and everything else in between. No matter how different these parts may seem, they are all part of the same whole. Oneness calls us to understand one another, to see each other as extensions of ourselves, rather than as opponents.

This is a powerful mindset shift—one that requires practice—but the rewards are profound. The reality is, we are all the same. As humans, with our almighty intelligence, we have created measurement systems to compare ourselves to one another. Whether these systems are moral, financial, or societal, we subconsciously place people into categories—deciding whether they "belong" in our group or not.

But here’s the truth: We are all lacking in some ways, and we all have challenges—though not the same ones. What is easy for you might be difficult for me, and vice versa. The real problem arises when we measure others against our own standards and assume our perspective is the ultimate truth.

Righteousness is a disease. Oneness has no "rightness." We are all excelling and stumbling clumsily at the same time. The moment we start to believe in our own moral superiority, we stop seeking to understand others. We start making judgments about why others don’t measure up. This is what fuels the political, social, and humanitarian divides we see today.

Oneness asks us to lay down our attacks, our judgments, and our righteousness. It calls us to be humble instead of "right," honest instead of afraid, and accepting instead of critical—without exception, no matter how passionately we feel about the "truth" of a topic.

I am confident in saying that oneness only brings good—and every single person has the ability to practice more of it.

​So today, monitor your emotions, your thoughts, and your actions. Are they guided by righteousness, or are they guided by oneness?

Did you know that excessive wanting actually makes something less likely to occur? Whether it's desperately wanting someone to change or intensely craving something new in your life, when our desire becomes too strong, we actually push it away. This happens because of the reciprocal nature of the universe and the principles of prana, or energy.

Wanting something is natural, and in fact, it's the first step in manifesting what we desire. However, true manifestation requires more than just wanting—it requires action, belief, gratitude, and trust. When we dwell on our desires obsessively—thinking about them 24/7 without taking aligned steps—we begin to focus not on having the thing, but on its absence. This creates an energetic blockage, as our emotional energy of lack overpowers our ability to attract what we truly want.

Desire is an emotional energy, and for it to return to us in the form of fulfillment, we must release it with trust. Think of this as sending a child into the world—you prepare them, give them guidance, and then let them go, trusting they will flourish and return to you in time. The same applies to your desires: connect with them, release them with faith, and create the right conditions for them to manifest.

Energy must have a channel to flow, so it's not enough to just want—you must take intentional action that aligns with your desire. Imagine the person you will become once your desire is reality. How will you feel? How will you behave? What thoughts will you have? Instead of waiting for "someday," embody that version of yourself now. This creates a powerful energetic shift, allowing your desire to naturally align with you.

A key aspect of this process is protecting your energy. Manifestations work best when nurtured silently or shared only with those who support your vision. Speaking too soon can allow doubt, fear, or judgment from others to dilute your energy, slowing down or even blocking the process.

Most importantly, faith is the key ingredient. If you doubt your ability to manifest, you send out the energy of doubt, which weakens your creation. But if you believe fully, without hesitation, your energy will magnetize what you seek.

Manifestation doesn’t always happen on our timeline, but with patience, faith, and gratitude, you will step into the reality you’ve envisioned—gracefully and effortlessly. Trust that it’s already yours, and watch as the universe delivers it in divine timing.