This Necklace Was Designed to Lower Your Stress
When you’re feeling stressed, it always helps to take a deep breath. Not only will it increase the supply of oxygen to your brain, it stimulates our parasympathetic nervous system, which in turn leads to feelings of calmness. As simple as it sounds, however, there’s more to the practice than just huffing some air in and out. Your focus and rate of exhalation can also play a role in allowing your worries to melt away, and Komusō’s whistle-like Shift necklace (from $105, The Grommet) promises to help you optimize your strategy.
Inspired by a group of Japanese monks (also known as komuso) that use a flute-like tool called a shakuhachi in a practice known as suizen, or blowing meditation, this highly-polished stainless steel piece was designed with a tested circumference that’s designed to slow your breathing and control your breath.
According to the husband and wife duo behind it, not only will blowing through this necklace decrease your stress hormone and blood pressure, slow down your heartbeat, and loosen your muscles, it will quiet your mind and center you, “shifting” your mind to a better place.
To use it, all you have to do is inhale deeply, then exhale through the pendant for eight to 10 seconds while relaxing your shoulders and jaw. Then, repeat the cycle at least five times.
One buyer, who just so happens to own a meditation center, says it definitely works, writing, “Wearing it instantly puts me at ease and in stressful moments it reminds me to slow down, breathe, and be in the moment. Everything will be OK. I have received comments on how nice looking it is too.”
Another recalled an instance in which this piece helped to turn her day around, writing, “The Komuso necklace has been such a great mood shifter when I was feeling anxious. I immediately noticed, as in that moment, I gradually felt a wave of calm come over me and I regained my composure. I sat there smiling, grateful for my new best bud.”
This accessory, which is made in Rhode Island, also makes for a unique, heavy-duty design you can wear every day. It comes on a 25-inch chain and you can also choose from a rose gold- or 14K gold-plated version for an additional charge.
We don’t know about you, but we’re feeling calmer already!
Where to buy: From $105, The Grommet
