Cultivate peace and vitality with this

When I begin working with a client who’s experiencing anxiety, we address breathing right away. Often the client will say that they try to breathe when they feel anxious, but it doesn’t help them feel calmer and sometimes it even makes anxiety worse. This is why it’s important to practice breathwork when you’re calm, here’s why: 

1. When you practice diaphragmatic breathing regularly (ideally, daily), you engage your parasympathetic nervous system which stimulates rest and digest. Over time, you strengthen and calm your nervous system so that you can bring yourself out of flight or fight mode (sympathetic nervous system) and into rest and digest more quickly. 
2. When you try to breathe only when you’re in distress, it can be difficult to access your breath because you’re out of practice. You may end up breathing deeply in your chest creating a heightened sense of panic and a feeling of hyperventilation. In addition, when you think BREATHE!! when you’re in distress it can create this conditioned response where you immediately have alarm bells going off that you’re in crisis (oh sh!t, I need to calm down!!). This response escalates your experience of the situation rather than calms you.  

You breathe without thinking about it, all day every day, but how you breathe matters. 

Let’s do this experiment… First go ahead and slump in your chair, let your head drop, feel the curve in your spine. Check in with your breath. What do you notice? Do you feel the constriction? See if you can bring your breath down past your diaphragm, feeling your belly expand with your inhale. As I practice this now, I can feel my belly move with great effort, but it doesn’t feel like a full breath. 

Now, sit tall, both feet on the floor if you’re sitting in a chair. Lengthen up through the top of your head, align your ears over your shoulders and shoulders over your hips creating space in your body. Inhale through your nose and bring the breath down, feel your belly expand, then your chest. Slowly exhale through your nose, feeling your chest drop down, draw your navel back toward your spine exhaling completely. 

Do you notice the difference? The first breath is how many of us breathe when we aren’t thinking about it - shallow, chest breathing. It can create a sense of pressure and stress in your mind and body. The second breath is an example of yogic or diaphragmatic breathing. This is the breath that you can tap into to support you through challenges and distress. Practicing this breath when you’re calm will support you when you aren’t. 

Here’s a bonus with the breath, it energizes you! Breath is life force. As you inhale, you’re infusing life force into all of your cells and tissues, nourishing and energizing your body and mind. As you exhale, you’re creating space in your body and letting go of what you no longer need. This simple practice gives you peace and vitality, building blocks for a creative, joyful life. 

It all starts with the breath 💕.

Hugs and love,
Jodh

P.S. if you want to learn how to develop simple habits (like this!) to have more energy and desire, join our waitlist for 6 Weeks to Sustained Energy & Soul Expression. Course enrollment is coming soon.

Photo: WelshPixie