Breathe!

Breathing is an autonomic process, it happens whether or not we are paying attention to it. Tension or stress in the body create contraction and unhealthy breathing patterns which then become habits. Habits develop over time and can be changed with mindfulness and attention. Anxiety and depression change our breathing rhythms and can be eased when we breathe smoothly and evenly. 

Below is a simple, guided two minute practice of smooth, even breathing.

For two minutes, follow the flow of breath in the nostrils. Notice the coolness as you breathe in and warmth as you breathe out. Notice the pace and rhythm of the breath.

Breathing in this way is more important to your health and well-being than anything else you could do! This is quite a claim, right? It’s backed up by science and my experience teaching people meditation for twenty years.

Breath is the first-responder in our nervous system and alerts us to danger, anxiety or stress. Smooth, even, continuous, diaphragmatic breathing is the most powerful way to self-regulate the nervous system and emotion. By the end of this course you will understand healthy breathing and why it is important to you.

The mind can be our best friend and our worst enemy. Compulsive and compelling thoughts hijack our attention, especially when we try to sleep. You don’t have to follow along helplessly. Train your mind and body to relax and focus. Minding the gap, the transition points between breathing in and breathing out, provides a stable focus for the mind.

Our bodies know how to do this! Simple, guided practices walk you through the process and allow you to relax as you breathe. Stress and contraction lock in an unhealthy pattern of shorter breaths higher in the chest. Relaxing your stomach muscles allows the body to reestablish natural breathing. We count length of the breath and the number of breaths until a consistent rhythmic breath becomes second nature once again. 

Each segment features a video and a practice so you can feel the benefits immediately. The practices range from two to ten minutes, perfect for fitting them in to a busy life. Downloadable audios of each practice allow you to take them with you on your phone or other mobile device.

Habits develop over time. In two minutes you will notice an immediate change. In a month or two, you can transform your breathing habits to support your own optimal health. 

Our body is born breathing in a natural rhythm of smooth, even, continuous, through the nose and diaphragmatically. This is an overview of the main qualities of healthy breathing with details in each lecture below. The guided practices in Section 2 will help you create a foundational habit of optimal breathing.

Our breath is a resource we can turn to any time - waiting in line, during an argument, or as we go to sleep.

Practicing mindfulness of our breath is an early signal system for our emotions. A change in our breathing pattern, like holding our breath when we are anxious, gives us a clue of what is happening emotionally. 

Many people are anxious in social settings. Talk in longer sentences to activate your relaxation response.

Once we are aware of our distress, we can use the breath to calm our system and relax.

Our bodies work most effectively when we use the diaphragm muscle to breathe. Chronic stress can lead to tight muscles in the back and chest and interfere with this natural process. Watch the video to see how it works and to see 3D video of the diaphragm and breathing.

Relax your stomach and allow the breath to move out of the chest and a bit lower into your stomach area. 

Even though these habits have taken awhile to develop, it is encouraging to know we can replace these unhealthy patterns and engage the diaphragm muscle within a few months.

In addition to filtering out dust and warming up the air before it enters the lungs, the flow of breath through the nostrils activates the vagus nerve, an important way we down-regulate our nervous system.

Our bodies respond well when our regular daily breathing pattern is an even pattern, where our exhalation and inhalation are about the same length and our breath is smooth and continuous.

Did you know it takes six seconds of breathing out for our body to activate our relaxation response? When our breath is short and we hold our breath, it is hard for us to calm ourselves or settle.

The key to forming a habit of longer, more relaxing breaths is to attend to our breath without too much effort. Relax and allow your breath to lengthen and become smoother. 

Develop a habit of breathing this way for optimal health and relaxation:

Smooth and continuous. Even length. Through the nostrils. Diaphragmatic.

I know from personal experience and teaching thousands of people that these simple practices are effective! 

The guided practices in section 2 will help you build and strengthen your foundation of healthy breathing, increase the resiliency in your nervous system, reduce stress and have more energy to enjoy life!