The importance of breathing does not need to be explained, it is life and death. It is something that happens from the moment we are born until the day we die. It carries on, often in the background behind whatever we are doing, eating, sleeping, dancing, it just happens.
Breathing can also be conscious, we can actively control the breath in various ways to affect our nervous system, to aid physical and mental health and help to get to know ourselves.
“…when we begin to bring [the breath] under our conscious control, we gradually become more aware of other parts of ourselves which have been unconscious. We become more aware of ourselves in new ways. We begin to know ourselves more deeply” David Yaren PHD.
The breath also helps us manage the stresses of the system we live in and reconnect to the body, spirit and the world around us.
Mental health, physical health and connection
It has long been claimed by yogis that conscious breath focused practices (pranayama) can improve mental and physical wellbeing: improving concentration, calming the mind, improving vitality and decreasing emotional reactivity. There are now many scientific studies supporting this view, stating that breathing practices can help with many mental health diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and PTSD.
Breathing practices also aid our physical bodies, they can calm our nervous system, reduce heart rate and blood pressure, strengthen the lungs, improve digestion and help manage chronic pain, the list goes on.
Due to the way we live today, many of us are stressed. The systems we live in are fast and loud and we spend so much of our time in our heads. We worry about what has happened, what will happen or what we have to do. We live in a past that does not exist or a fictitious future, we identify with our thoughts and can get stuck in mental thought patterns. We are rarely present.
In yogic teachings the breath is what connects the mind, body and spirit. It reconnects our heads to our hearts and brings us into the present moment.
The breath is also the bridge that reconnects us to our environment. It reminds us of what we often forget; that we are intimately connected to each other and our environment.
“We live in an ocean of air, like a fish in a body of water. By our breathing we are attuned to our atmosphere. If we inhibit our breathing we isolate ourselves from the medium in which we exist…the breath is the key to the highest bliss”. Alexander Lowen: The voice of the body.
Breathing Techniques
The great thing about the breath is that for as long as we are alive, it is always there. Wherever we are we can tap into it and no fancy equipment is needed. When it comes to the breath it is important that we always practise with a sense of kindness and compassion to ourselves, never forcing the breath, even the more dynamic practices are soft in intention.
For all but the first technique, it is best to sit down if you can, making sure you are gently upright. Sitting on a chair with your feet on the floor or sitting on the floor with something underneath your bottom if possible. For most, we breathe through the nose, but if your nose is blocked then gently breathe through your mouth.
- A few Deep Breaths – stop for a couple of minutes wherever you are, whether you are walking down the street, on the bus or at work. Just pause for a moment and take a few gentle deep breaths in and out through the nose or in through the nose and out through the mouth. It is so easy to do and so easy to forget to do. You can close your eyes if you are in a safe space or you can have a look around. Take a moment to look at your feet on the ground, look up to the sky, turn slowly and look all around you just take everything in, even if you are not in what we would consider beautiful surroundings, it’s all part of life. Then carry on going about your day.
- Breathing In and out – just as simple as it sounds, taking a little more time, we can simply sit, in a gently upright position – remember no stress or force needed. Take whatever support you need if you have any, maybe a cushion behind the back. If you have space, you can also lie down making sure the chin is not pointing up toward the ceiling. If that happens, put something underneath your head.
Through the nose: Connect to the breath, feel the body breath and gently, consciously, slowly inhale through the nose. Feel the air enter the body and fill the rib cage just to where it feels natural and then consciously, gently control the exhalation, feeling the air leave the body.
In through the nose and out through the mouth: The same as above but the exhalation is through pursed lips. Some people find breathing out through the mouth an easier way to control/ steady the exhalation.
Counting: as above but introduce a count on the inhalation or exhalation for example, four counts in and four counts out. It should be noted here that although counting is a popular breathing technique, it does not suit everyone. Some people who experience anxiety find counting the breath very hard and it can have the negative effect of making people more anxious as they try to count. If this happens to you, stop doing it and try the next one.
Moving the body with the breath: For those who experience anxiety this is a good one as it gives our minds something louder to focus on and is more settling than counting. It can be as simple as lifting an arm or both arms with the inhalation and lowering with the exhalation. Don’t worry too much about synchronising the breath and body, start focusing on the body movement and when you’re ready, introduce the breath. It doesn’t matter if you get in a muddle or lose concentration, just start again.
- Extending the exhalation – this activates the parasympathetic nervous system, our rest and digest state. It calms the body and mind down and lets us know we’re ok. We can do this both in and out through the nose or in the nose and out through the mouth, as above some people find breathing through the mouth automatically helps to extend or lengthen the out breath. You can do all of the above and lengthen the out breath.
Counting: as above but this time extending the length of the exhalation so four counts in and six count out or six counts in and eight out, depending on the length of your breath and the speed you count.
- Bumble bee breath- Breathing in gently through the nose and humming on the exhalation. This is another great breathing technique. It clears the head and helps to steady and lengthen the out breath. It is also very healing to make a sound. It doesn’t have to be loud, just feeling the vibration of the sound in the body is a great way to re-centre.
- Watching the breath – this is a more subtle breathing technique/meditation. It is not really something that we do, it is about tuning in to what is happening. Resting with and observing the amazing unconscious action of the body. Wherever you are you can drop your attention into your breath. When you do this you will probably initially actively take a breath in and out, this is ok, it’s a very natural thing to do as soon as we pay attention to something we try and do something to it. But then we just watch, just let the body breathe, it might be fast or slow, deep or shallow. Don’t do anything to it, let the body self-regulate. This is a subtle practice and there are tools we can use to help our minds stay focused on the breath. Also, remember it is ok if our mind wanders, when we realise, we come back to the breath.
Counting – mindfulness of breathing, the first stage is to breathe in and out and count one, then two up to ten and then start again. If you lose count, just start again. It is important to hold the counting softly, don’t fixate too much on it.
Mantra – as before, counting is not for everyone so if it isn’t for you, try using a mantra. Saying a word in your head and synchronizing it with the breath. The easiest one is to simply say “in” as you breathe in and “out” as you breathe out.
“Breathing in, I calm my body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
