Mind, Sense & Soul: Breathe

Navy seals. You’ve heard of them, right? The U.S. Navy's primary special operations force... You may even know some. They are HARD AS NAILS; certainly not new age, woo woo types. Well, they use intentional breathing religiously in their training and in combat to regulate their bodies and we all know, they wouldn’t bother with anything that didn’t work and didn't work well. So hopefully, that’s a good reason to listen on...

Now, breathing is, as we know, something we do everyday without thinking about it so it’s normal to think that we can ignore it. However, if we don’t ignore it and actually take control of it, we can make immense, positive changes to our health almost instantly. A lot is being said about how we breathe right now for obvious reasons because sometimes, it takes a massive health crisis for us to appreciate the profound effects the way we breathe has on our entire being.

Breathe With Intention

Giving ourselves space to pause and breath with intention, i.e. think about how we’re breathing before we do certain things like start answering emails or eat food or have a meeting can have a profound effect on how we react, how we think and even, how we digest. All the research is pointing to how simply breathing in a more mindful way can make a huge difference, even just two minutes at a time. Give it a try. Maybe add in a two minute breathing space as it were before you do a new task and see how differently you feel. It’s effective, it’s free and there are no side effects!

By controlling our breath, we can instantly drop our cortisol levels and blood pressure, calming panic and anxiety within a couple of minutes. Controlled breathing through the nose specifically however, is something we should all be doing as much as possible, apparently. Here’s more on that.

Mouth Vs Nose Breathing

Many of us may not realise that we’re breathing through our mouths, especially while we sleep. The truth is, habitual mouth breathing has serious implications on an individual’s lifelong health, from snoring issues, dry mouth and bad breath to sleep apnoea, chronic fatigue and brain fog. See link at the end for A LOT more in this by the experts.

In children particularly, the negative effects are quite clear: it can cause crooked teeth, facial deformities and slower growth. Mouth breathing children also often have problems concentrating at school to the point where they are often misdiagnosed with ADD or hyperactivity. They’re also more irritable and show daytime sleepiness. Eeek.

Why Nose Breathing?

Why is nose breathing better? Here are some reasons:

The nose acts as an air filter , delivering clean air to the lungs and reducing the amount of allergens that get in. Very important for asthmatics!
Nose-breathing produces nitric oxide, helping with oxygen absorption and sterilises the air.
Nose-breathing strengthens the immune system by activating immunoglobulin production.
It adds moisture to the air to prevent dryness in the lungs and bronchial tubes.
Nose breathing adds resistance to the air stream and this increases oxygen uptake, maintaining the lungs’ elasticity.

Breath and the Gut

Stressful events may cause immediate physical reactions, such as a faster heartbeat, shallower breath and knots in the stomach. These “fight or flight” responses move blood away from the gut to larger muscles so we can run away from danger but this interferes with digestion, weakens the immune system and increases inflammation. When they happen again and again over time, they can damage your gut health.

Slower, deeper, abdominal breathing, gently massages the internal organs like the intestines and stomach, so long, deep, belly breathing before and after we eat creates a relaxed abdominal. This can reduce abdominal pain, urgency, bloating, and constipation.

If you’re an IBS sufferer, have you ever been able, weirdly, to eat anything on holiday and yet suffer badly when back at home? Could this have anything to do with being more relaxed? Something to think about.

Breath for Grief and Trauma

I wanted to put what I learned about breath and grief in this as it seems so simple, yet the advice was nowhere to be seen when I lost my father a few years ago. Grief and trauma generally, if not dealt with properly, comes out in other ways such as anxiety and panic attacks and yet often, we have no idea that this is what has caused it.

How many people have thrown themselves straight back into work or other projects after losing a loved one, choosing distraction over sitting with the sadness over a period of time and gently coming to terms with it? Apparently it is seen in the workplace all the time, especially with CEOs who suddenly start having panic attacks in meetings, for example.

The research shows clearly that just helping people learn to sit with their breath for two minutes at a time, doing slow but gentle abdominal breathing soon starts to stop the attacks altogether, because what happens is that almost without fail, within a minute or so, the person usually burst into tears - a much needed release that can begin a process of acceptance and healing.

Breathing Toolkit: 3 techniques to tackle anxiety, promote sleep or boost energy

Breath for Calm

Try alternate nostril breathing. This technique can quickly help reduce agitation and anxiety. With your thumb, close off one nostril and take air in slowly through the other. Then switch, closing off the second nostril with the ring finger of the same hand while breathing through the first. Repeat the process until you begin to feel calmer.

Breath for Sleep

Try the 4,7,8 Method. This now well-known breathing method is a cracker for promoting good sleep. Simply inhale to the count of four, hold your breath to the count of seven and then exhale to the count of eight. Repeat as needed, but at least five rounds will do you good.

Breath for Energy

To renew your energy in the middle of the day, try this stimulating breathing technique to help you to feel more alert: Keep your mouth closed, then inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your breaths as short as possible - three times a second if you can manage it. This is a great practice for the diaphragm. NOTE: pause to breathe normally every 3 seconds or so and only do this exercise for only 15 seconds when you first start. You can go longer as you get used to it.

How 2 minutes of intentional breathing can boost your health and happiness