WELLBEING PILLAR No.2
INTRODUCING - RIGHT BREATHING!
Right Breathing is something of a misnomer once you stop to think about it. After all, we can guarantee that we’ve been breathing all our lives and will continue to do so until we take our last breath. Breathing is one of only a few things in life we can be sure of and so, in some ways, we should be masters of breathing as we’ve practiced it consistently since birth. If there’s such a thing as Right Breathing, what is it and how should we approach learning the way to harness it?
Maybe the best place to start is with why rather than the how. Most of us know that taking some deep slow breaths helps calm us down and reduces anxiety. We also know that when we’re breathing fast and shallow, we’re either out of breath, due to some vigorous exercise, or because of some stressful situation we’ve put our bodies and minds through. When we hyperventilate, we’re putting our bodies into a stress state and when we’re calm our breathing follows. Why is this, and where’s the link?
Here’s how I like to explain it. Let’s imagine if you decide not to eat for a week or so. Your body and your mind will surely go through a lot of struggle and experience various changes and yet one week later you’ll be able to return to your food and slowly build up your energy reserves. Next, if you decided to stop drinking water you might find you struggle far quicker and a day or so without fluids would begin to take quite a toll on your system. Still, you’d manage and once you’re hydrated once again you’ll resume your status quo. Finally, should you stop breathing for a while what then? Well, of course after only a few minutes you’ll be in a potentially fatal situation and swift action will be needed to keep you alive. Our bodies know this on a subconscious, autonomic level and our bodies are hard-wired for survival. Anything that puts our lives at risk causes a fast chain reaction to kick in for ultimate protection and the number one thing our nervous system scans 24 / 7 is how we’re breathing. The speed, pace, rhythm, and quality, of your breath, act as a blueprint for your physical, emotional and mental health and the breath raises the first flag when something’s not right signalling that action is required.
Now, the great news is that in humans, the breath also has a very special, magic component. It’s one of only a few physical mechanical systems that we can override and take conscious control over. We have the keys to literally hack our system and consciously alter our states by using the breath to tweak and adjust to our liking. Accessing our conscious breathing allows us a tool that we can use regularly to our advantage, calming us down when the going gets tough or lifting us up when we feel lethargy setting in. We can also use it as a tool to find a balance between the two, bringing about a harmonious and steady state of health.
By now I hope I’ve sparked your curiosity to learn more about how you can harness your secret power to regulate your system and take control of your internal experience. Through regular, conscious checking in with the breath it can become your new best friend, always there when and where you need it, ready to step up to the job required, and what’s more it's free!
As breathing and breath work is becoming more popular there are of course more and more ways you can approach it. Some are simple and some are complex. New methods, new teachings and new ideas are springing up all the time and it may feel daunting once you start to research all the options. My advice, if you’re new to this experience, is to go slow. Right Breathing is right there under your nose. If you can start to notice that regularly, with curiosity, compassion and care you’ve already started on your journey of self-discovery.
If you do want to go further and learn more do get in touch with us at Flow and we can help you add tools to your toolbox of fabulous breathwork practices for everyday life.
RECAP - The 5 pillars are:
1. Right Exercise
2. Right Breathing
3. Right Thinking
4. Right Nutrition
5. Right Relaxation
