On Breath Training.
“There’s nothing more powerful than regulating your breath, to change your physical health and mental health.”
-Andrew Weil, world-renowned leader & pioneer in the field of integrative medicine
Episode 42.
On Breath Training
Breath training? Isn’t breathing automatic? Why do we need training? We have been breathing our entire lives, yet many of us have never stopped to contemplate, to appreciate, to regulate the vast breadth and depth of maximizing and utilizing breath to benefit our physiology, mental well-being, relationships, and healing.
I truly believe that if we “taught” breath control as early as pre-school, we would have a lot less pain and suffering in the world (I will leave it there, with that broad, sweeping, general statement!) Why are people not taught how to breathe? Because we take it for granted - we don’t value breathing as a skill, but rely on it as an unconscious function. Yes, breathing can be involuntary, but we can also take control of this air exchange, which inhabits much more than simply swapping out O2 and CO2.
Taking voluntary control over an involuntary process is beyond empowering. Deciding to deliberately to manage your breath is a recognition that you have command over your entire system. It’s like suddenly realizing you could alter your height or foot size (which we haven’t quite covered with breath-yet!)
Breath.
Training.
Intentional.
Focused.
This is a discipline.
It is not a hack. It is your biology. It is your neurochemistry. It is your precious, sophisticated, intricate system- designed to be leveraged to maximize body function, mental resilience, and emotional regulation; and to optimize health and performance.
Breath training is a coherence practice. It aligns, synchronizes, and connects all aspects and elements, externally and internally- from intrinsic heart rate variability(HRV), to connection with nature, to relationship with our most cherished intimate partner.
Breath training is an embodied practice. It is linked to smell and taste, to pheromone activation and attraction, to stress, to immune system function, to mental resilience, to longevity...
Breath training is a preventative practice. It is analogous to brushing our teeth to prevent cavities, root canals, and gum disease. As neglecting daily brushing can be detrimental, overlooking how we breathe is a risk to our entire system- physical, mental, and emotional.
How does “breath training” work?
Here is the basic principle… Breath training can effectively reset the autonomic nervous system. Most of us operate in a perpetual/chronic state of stress. Our nervous systems respond by being on “high alert” and releasing a constant flow of the stress-hormone, Cortisol, which keeps us “ready” for a threat- in “fight or flight” mode.
This chronic bath of cortisol sends the message to your brain that you are “preparing for some attack”, so, be alert…
And your intelligent brain reads:
DON’T SLEEP- (are you having insomnia or trouble sleeping??)
HOLD ONTO WEIGHT- STORE WHAT YOU CONSUME, JUST IN CASE (are you having trouble managing stubborn weight??)
CONSERVE ENERGY FOR BATTLE (are you fatigued and low energy??)
Bottom line: just BEING in a state of chronic stress response is impacting your entire system.
How can you reset this with your BREATHING???
Nervous System Regulation, with parasympathetic calibration = basically getting you out of that “fight or flight” reaction and shifting to a sympathetic state, or “rest and digest”, where your body and mind can align and regulate.
This literally takes less than ONE MINUTE, with breath reset. Breath training works by stimulating the phrenic nerve, responsible for regulation of the diaphragm; and the Vagus nerve, making oxygen more readily accessible to muscle tissues, and moving oxygen to parts of your brain that can bring you out of a stress-encumbered state.
So, if you are ready to SHIFT your nervous system, here we go…
Less than ONE MINUTE to reset your Nervous System.
The Practice...
1- Breathe through your NOSE.
IN AND OUT THROUGH NOSE.
Just simply notice and observe your breath. Bringing awareness to conscious breath puts your mind into a neutral state.
2- Intentionally make your breaths DEEPER, SLOWER, QUIETER, MORE REGULAR... ((Notice that people who are afraid, anxious, or upset, breathe shallow, rapid, noisy, erratic))
How? Focus on the exhale- lengthen your exhale to 2x as long as your inhale. Breathe IN for 4 seconds, and OUT for 8 seconds.
3- Technique: 4-7-8 Breath
Inhale 4 seconds
Hold 7 seconds
Exhale 8 seconds
Repeat this 30 seconds to a minute
4- Technique: Double Inhale-Exhale (Physiological Sigh)
Take 2 short inhales through NOSE- (IN-IN)
Then a long exhale through mouth (Sigh OUT)
Repeat this for 30 seconds to a minute
That’s it... simple.
Breath training is often overlooked because it is actually “too simple”. Unlike other high-tech monitoring systems and apps, Breath Training is
-Accessible
-Free
-Very time efficient
-Doesn’t require equipment
But it does require discipline.
It requires showing up.
Getting still for a moment.
Focusing.
Realizing that if you can manage your breath, you can better manage any situation in life.
Start here.
Inhale...
With you,
Jess
Breath-based yoga is also an effective way to bring your body and mind to a regulated state. There are few practices so effective in offsetting the stresses and strains of just living life...a practice that balances exertion and surrender...a legit nervous system recalibration...one hour out of your day...show up as you are, leave feeling better.
If you want the accountability to the above practices, link below to virtual classes, and outdoor offerings coming soon. No pressure, just an offering to optimize YOU.
Stillness. Moments. Breathing.
(and noticing random mis-placed trees, and balancing them on your head...)
Love and Gratitude.
Do it all with Love. Nothing is promised. But everything is workable.
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