The way that you breathe influences the way that you feel and the way that you feel influences the way that you breathe. By making a conscious choice to change the way that you breathe, you have the ability to influence how you are feeling physically and emotionally. This is one of the many benefits of breathwork.
Your nervous system in action
Just imagine this scenario - You are jogging down the road and you see a car swerving to miss a cyclist and in doing so the driver careers towards the pavement you are running along. In a split second your autonomic nervous system (ANS) responds with a spike in adrenaline and cortisol, and an increase in your breathing and heart rate. You are in nervous system 'fight-or-flight' and your body is ready to immediately move you out of danger. Not once did you have to think about how to respond. Your body jump straight to the task without a second thought. As you leap to one side and the driver regains control, you thankfully continue on with your day unharmed and your nervous system returns to it's pre-danger state.
Daily stress impacts your nervous system
Although you are not dodging crazy drivers all day long, your body responds to less intense stresses in exactly the same way, leading to an elevated breathing and heart rate, higher blood pressure, higher blood sugar levels, decreased digestive function, reduced immune system function and more. Getting sick all the time? This could be part of the reason why.
"Dysfunctional breathing which originate high in the chest, does not effectively activate the diaphragm leading to poor core stabilisation. Poor core stabilisation can leave the lumbar spine (lower back) vulnerable to movement compensation leading to injuries and pain"
You breathing and nervous system are tightly intertwined
The cyclist and car scenario above is an extreme example of what is happening within your nervous system every day. Stressful events occur, the ANS responds to keep you safe from danger, you are driven into a state of nervous system fight-or-flight. Your breathing rate increases, your ability to digest your food decreases. Over time, this leads to dysfunctional breathing patterns i.e. - faster than optimal breathing and breathing that is high in the chest and shallow.
What is optimal breathing?
Optimal breathing is Low - Slow - Deep (LDS). Breathing this way is refered to as 'functional breathing'. Ideally we want breathing to initiate low in the belly region. Belly breathing activated the diaphragm, stimulates the vagus nerve and supports core muscle stabilisation.
Functional breathing looks like this:
On the inhale
Start by breathing low into the belly button region
Follow by expanding the mid portion of the ribs
End with the chest region.
On the exhale
Initiate with the chest
Move down to the ribs
Finish with the belly
Breathing, lower back pain and your core muscles
The diaphragm is an integral part of the core musculature. Dysfunctional breathing which originate in the chest, does not effectively activate the diaphragm leading to poor core stabilisation. Poor core stabilisation can leave the lumbar spine (lower back) vulnerable to movement compensation leading to injuries and pain. Better core stabilisation is another benefit of breathwork.
"Because the bodies fight-or-flight system is unable to differentiate between a serious risks to your life and daily stresses such as a work deadline, financial stresses or being stuck in traffic, you can spend more time in this heightened state of alert than is healthy"
Breathing and digestive health
As mentioned above, in a state of fight-or-flight, digestion is suppressed so that the body can focus all of it's resources on keeping you safe from danger. Because the bodies fight-or-flight system is unable to differentiate between a serious risks to your life and daily stresses such as a work deadline, financial stresses or being stuck in traffic, you can spend more time in this heightened state of alert than is healthy. This continually heightened state can lead to digestive symptoms such as indigestion, constipation and diarrhoea.
Breathe your way to better health
Light, slow and deep breathing creates space and calm. Space and calm are the birthplace of self-awareness. When we become aware of how we are feeling, we can make clearer choices about what needs to change. Fight-or-flight breathing is high, shallow and erratic, leading to disordered thoughts, poor digestion, weight gain, high blood pressure, reduced immune system function, increased anxiety and an increased risk of injury. Functional breathing is light, slow and deep, leading to activation of the rest-and-digest system which leads to better digestion, cohesive thinking, lower anxiety levels, better blood sugar regulation and improved movement patterns.
The benefits of breathwork
These are just some of the benefits of breathwork. Learning how to breathe better and establishing a regular breathwork practice can seriously change your life. Breathwork is not a magic bullet, but it is a powerful tool in your wellness toolkit.
Breathwork Classes & Workshops
If this post has you interested to learn more about functional breathing and how to incorporate breathwork into your daily life, I have breathwork classes and workshops running at different times during the year. You can also attend 1:1 breathwork sessions with me that can be incorporated into a massage and stretch session if needed.
Breathwork classes what do you teach?
During breathwork classes and workshops you will learn all about functional breathing and how to know if you are preforming the techniques effectively so that you can get the most out of your own personal practice. There is always plenty of time to practice and connect with other likeminded people in a safe, supportive and caring environment.
Breathwork is a powerful tool for supporting optimal health.
If you have any questions please send me a message, I would love to hear about you and how you are incorporating breathwork into your daily life.
To your very best health and wellness.
Melanie Briony x
Melanie Briony Fitness. Strong Like A Woman