Breathing for Relaxation

The body’s autonomic nervous system is comprised of two divisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. They both perform different, but very important functions. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our evolved survival mechanism, the “fight-or-flight” response. This response tells us to adapt to a threatening situation and helps us to produce the energy needed to deal with a threat: The responses can include, quickened breathing and heart rate, tense muscles, sweat, high blood pressure and more blood flow to your organs, heightened senses. Cortisol levels, the stress hormone, also increases. While this helps in a threatening situation, we can’t be in this state all the time or we enter what’s known as chronic stress. So, what about turning off or slowing down this process when the ‘threat’ is a stress response to life and environment and a learnt way of being?

We breathe to stimulate the vagus nerve. This is the longest in the autonomic nervous system and main component of the parasympathetic nervous system. The vagus nerve extends to nearly every major system in the body, our stomach, repertory system, digestive system, and lungs. Messages travel back and forth between the body’s organs and systems and the brain, and this is a two-way communication. Think of butterflies in your stomach or a sharp intake of breath when surprised. The vegus nerve is the reason for ‘gut feelings’, it is the brain in your stomach.

The vagus nerve controls our sense of well-being and relaxation, and its simple role is to calm us down. Recently, scientists have established that activating the nerve can slow down your heart rate, switch off the inflammatory hormone cortisol and release an orchestra of calming chemicals into your system. They’ve found what yogis have known for millennia, the link between the vagus nerve activity and simple breathing techniques.

Just breathe

The key to vagus nerve stimulation is ‘longer exhalations’. This means that your exhalations are longer than your inhalations. All you have to do is breath normally, ensuring when you breath out the breathe is longer than the breathe you took in. If it helps, you can count in for four and out for six or in for six and out for eight, whatever feels comfortable for you. It may well feel unnatural, and this is a valuable aspect. If it feels clumsy and weird to monitor your inhalation and exhalation, this means the technique constantly keeps you engaged and focused.

Diaphragm and chest breathing

Now check where you are breathing from. Sit comfortably and breathe naturally. Continue to breath and after a short while, place one hand on your chest and one on your stomach and just continue to breathe naturally. Where do you feel the movement, in your chest or diaphragm? Chest breathing is a response to threat form of breathing, getting you ready to fight, flight, fake or freeze. So, if you breathe from your chest the message to your brain is that there is a threat. The brain passes this message to other parts of the body; heart rate increases, muscles tense, more blood flow to your organs, and cortisol levels increase. Breathing from your diaphragm is rest and recovery breathing and sends the message to your brain that you are in a state of ‘rest and digest’. The brain passes the message to other parts of the body; heart rate lowers, muscles relax, hormones are released to relax the mind and body and cortisol levels decline.

Let’s get started

So, let’s get started. Sit comfortably in a chair, feet flat and firm on the ground, legs uncrossed. Sit so that you are well supported and comfortable and just let your stomach sit comfortably. Let it all hang and be. Place a hand on your relaxed stomach so you can feel the breath coming in and out and your diaphragm moving down and up. Just breath, no monitoring, no counting, just breath. Then introduce counted breathing technique. Count to 4 while you’re inhaling, and then to 6 as you’re exhaling. It also helps to inhale through your nose to warm and filter the air coming into your body, and exhale through pressed lips. If it is too unnatural you can try 4:5 and build up. Don’t judge or over-analyse your sensations as they are happening, and instead focus entirely on the breathing. In that way, the exercise also feels a bit like meditation. Practice doing this for a few minutes each day. See it as a daily part of your life and some relaxing self-care time, just for you.

As you become comfortable with this breathing exercise, you can try introducing other senses such as visualisation. Imagine standing on a beach and watching the waves slowly roll in and recede. Breathe in with the incoming waves and breathe out as they slowly recede. Use a scented candle or relaxing music. How about slowly massaging moisturiser into your hands as you breathe and relax? This is your time for you and your self-care.

Working on your breathing with an experienced practitioner, either one-to-one or as a group, can ensure you are on the right path. The practitioner will create a relaxing atmosphere, observe your technique and guide and adjust as needed. Contact me if you are interested in experiencing this wonderful form on reducing stress and anxiety and becoming deeply relaxed.