
Breathwork needs nothing other than a few moments of your time! Most of us breathe shallowly without realising it, using only a small percentage of our lung capacity to bring in fresh air that our body needs and to exhale spent air from our lungs.
Of course, we breathe more quickly and deeply when we exercise hard and our body demands a greater supply of oxygen, but at rest we habitually use shallower breathing. We know that a few nice deep breaths can be just the right pick-me-up, but exactly why should this be so? It helps to understand exactly what happens when we begin to work with the breath.
Fight or Flight Response
When stressed, threatened, or overwhelmed, your body responds by activating the sympathetic nervous system, more commonly known as the fight or flight response, triggering involuntary reactions that enable you to get away from real or perceived threats, and to either escape or overcome danger. Increased anxiety, rapid heart rate and shallow, quick breathing prepare you to either run away or stand and fight. Your body is switching into crisis management mode, re-directing blood flow to your muscles and essential organs, equipping you to react quickly. Now, that’s fine if you actually need to escape from a real threat to your life, or your body is performing this function to help you out in an emergency. But this can also happen when we have been through a sustained period of stress and worry, or indeed we have a shock that upsets us emotionally.
Modern life often presents us with prolonged and unrelieved periods of stress that don’t require a physical response such as running away or fighting but instead take their toll in sleepless nights and worrisome days, making us irritable and affecting our ability to concentrate. Over time, unrelieved stresses may adversely impact our physical health and mental wellness.
Take Control
The good news is that you can take control and counteract unwelcome consequences of the body activating your sympathetic nervous system where it’s not actually helpful or appropriate for you. Mindful breathing activates the parasympathetic response, which has the effect of inducing a calmer state of mind and promoting relaxation. It actually helps lower the level of the stress hormone cortisol, and by breathing with deep and controlled rhythms we can instead encourage the release of feel-good endorphins, or “happy hormones”. Offering better digestion, lowered blood pressure, improved focus and mind-body connection, control of pain, better emotional health and even extra support to the immune system, breathwork is simple to do and profound in effect. Changing how you use your breath can literally change your life!
The exercises below are some that you might like to use to begin your own journey into breathwork, and which I hope you will find helpful. There are a great many different techniques that you can explore but these will get you started and establish a framework for you to work from.
Abdominal Breathing
Instantly activating the relaxation mode of the parasympathetic nervous system, this involves concentrating upon making full use of the whole of your respiratory system. It’s something you can do anywhere and at any time.
In a comfortable position, lying down or sitting, place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach.
1. Take a deep breath IN through your nose, and feel the stomach expand as the air comes into the body and fills the lungs.
2. Slowly breath OUT through your nose, feeling how the stomach lowers again as the air leaves the body.
10 repetitions are a good starting point but be guided by how you feel.
Breathwork – Achieving Balance
“Box” breathing, or 4-4-4-4, is another technique so easy to do and fit in at any moment of your day. It is highly effective in bringing balance. A kind of emergency re-set if you will.
Get yourself comfortable, then follow the steps below as many times as required.
1. Breathe IN through your nose for a count of 4 seconds.
2. Hold your breath for another count of 4 seconds.
3. Breathe OUT through your nose for a count of 4 seconds.
4. Hold your breath again for a count of 4 seconds.
Repeat this cycle as many times as you want, noticing the changes in your feelings and your physical state. I suggest 10 repetitions to start with.
Deep Relaxation and Sleep
Breathing using the 4-7-8 technique is a wonderful way to relieve stress or anxiety and can help you to fall asleep if you’re struggling to switch off at the end of the day.
Once you’re comfortable, just follow the steps below.
1. Inhale through your nose for a count of 4 seconds.
2. Hold your breath for a count of 7 seconds
3. Purse your lips, and exhale through your mouth for a count of 8 seconds. Relax! You won’t run out of breath!
Up to 10 repetitions is usually sufficient to feel benefit. But listen to your body and adjust as you feel appropriate.
The long exhale really does calm the bodily organs and allow for deep relaxation and sleep to occur.
Breathwork to Increase Focus and Energise the Mind
4-20 breathing STIMULATES the fight or flight response toincrease alertness and “rev you up” when you feel sluggish.
1. Breathe IN as deeply as you can for a count of 4 seconds.
2. Breathe OUT in a series of 20 short, sharp exhalations through either your nose or mouth.
*ONLY repeat the 4-20 breathing pattern for a maximum of 3 cycles before returning to your natural rhythm of breathing. Otherwise, you may find yourself feeling a little light-headed. If you do feel light-headed at any point, returning gently to your natural rhythm of breath will alleviate this.
I hope very much that this will inspire you to access the power of your own unique “Breath of Life.” Vanessa, PIN: 3900
Posted: 04/02/2025
Related Category: Holistic Wellbeing