BREATH
For Living
For Calming the Mind & Body
For Mindful Awareness
“Breathing is so simple, and yet its effects are miraculous.”
Why we bring breath into therapy
It seems that whenever a person is anxious or panicking someone can be heard saying “breathe,” “take a deep breath,” or “just calm down.” Yes, calming down can be as simple as taking a few deep inhales and exhales. But we can’t just make ourselves calm down or stop being anxious if someone tells us to. And for most people, bringing in a deep breath when they are having a panic attack is not easy; not even close to easy.
With practice and a semi-conscious openness to being calm, to slowing down, and being with what you are experiencing, even if it is scary or uncomfortable, we can shift our nervous system into a physiological state to cope with the experience by changing our breathing pattern. We hypothesize that reversing homeostatic alterations with meditation and breathing techniques rather than targeting neurotransmitters with medication may be a superior method to address the whole body changes that occur in stress, anxiety, and depression.
For example, shallow inhales followed by minimal exhales can send signals to our body that we are either encountering a perceived threat in the here-and-now OR something similar to what is happening ‘now’ has occurred in the past and our body is preparing for the unpleasantness that it experienced years ago.
Breath is a three-way bridge that connects our nervous and limbic systems to our bodies AND the present moment. Words and thoughts can NOT make our body disengage from it’s survival wiring but breath can; it is one of the mechanisms that can shift our physiological state. The vagus nerve can notice full inhales and long exhales and send (unconscious) signals to the body indicating a state of safety.
By being mindfully aware of anxiety, panic, or discomfort in our bodies or minds we can shift our body’s response to the present moment by doing a breathing exercise. Simple, right?
Not really. It is only simple if we have practiced breathing exercises when we felt comfortable, grounded, or ‘fine.’ But if we are experiencing anxiety, panic, overwhelm, PTSD, or catastrophic thoughts, it is really challenging to try a breathing exercise for the first time if we have not practiced it several times. When we are not fine our heart rate is usually elevated and bringing on a new and slow breathing pattern that is unfamiliar will not work out very well. So, what can we do?
PRACTICE! Click here to work with a therapist in Texas
Breathing Exercieses
2. Basic Belly Breathing
Learning and practicing Belly Breathing (or Diaphragmatic Breathing) is the foundation of all breath work and can quickly bring calm to the mind and body when done properly. Cyndi & Peyton guide you through this important exercise which can also double as a meditation.
3. “Cyclic Sighing” - Exhale!
Meditative exercises and/or mindfulness meditation can be the first step to learning Mindfulness. When we focus our attention on our breath or curiously explore sense activation like sight, hearing, or taste we are developing our brain's ability to attend to the present moment.
5. Modified Breath of Fire
Breath of Fire from Kundalini yoga is a powerful and restorative breath featuring equal inhales and exhales, usually at a fast pace. Cyndi Collen, LCSW and certified Kundalini yoga instructor has modified this breath to help slow your heartbeat to restore a sense of calm and ease in only a few minutes. Use this breath whenever you are feeling anxious, panic, repetitive thoughts, catastrophic thoughts or experiencing challenges going to sleep.
4. Breath of Fire
This powerful breath from Kundalini Yoga is adaptable. It can help restore calm if you are panicked OR give you focus and energy if you are tired. Cyndi & Peyton encourage you to go at your own pace and illustrate one slow and one faster rhythm.
1. Learn the best posture for breath work
Get some helpful tips on how to loosen up your shoulders and neck and then align your spine and shoulders in a position that is comfortable and ideal for practicing breath.
Experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, feeling overwhelmed, or intrusive thoughts that won’t stop?
Flourish! has several therapists who can help you explore relationship patterns, experiences within your family, and your attachment style that often contributes to heightened anxiety, panic, and cycling thoughts. By talking about your past, the therapist can help bring awareness to how the past is influencing behaviors or physiological states that show up today, in the here-and-now.
Breath exercises can be brought into the therapy session as a way for you to experience, with your therapist, a possible shift in your mood, nervous system, and/or thought patterns before and after the breath so that you can feel for yourself if doing these exercises can bring you the relief you are looking for.
Building awareness of your heart rate, breath, and nervous system arousal in therapy can significantly improve your ability to bring in the tools and techniques to calm the mind and body.
Reference
Jerath, R., Crawford, M.W., Barnes, V.A. et al. Self-Regulation of Breathing as a Primary Treatment for Anxiety. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 40, 107–115 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-015-9279-8