Watch a baby breathe and you can see they naturally take deep belly breaths – active on the inhale and completely relaxed on the exhale.
But our experiences – and especially those we perceive to be stressful or traumatic – have an impact on our breathing. Unhelpful patterns can develop. We may hold our breath when we’re overwhelmed, for example, sending us into ‘freeze’ mode, or breathe from the upper chest, triggering the sympathetic ‘fight or flight’ part of our nervous system, creating more stress.
This can become habitual, leading to a never-ending loop of physical reaction, thoughts and feelings and stuck in patterns of behaviour that run counter to our true nature. In time, we may feel trapped. We know rationally that we want things to be different, but we can’t seem to think our way to freedom.
This is where the breath comes in. It is the only direct pathway to the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and digestion. By deliberately slowing the breath, we trigger our parasympathetic nervous system, calming the mind and allowing us to ‘rest and digest’.
Conscious connected breathing helps is to drop out of our busy minds and into the incredible wisdom held in our bodies. We can access our subconscious and find new insights and answers to old problems. Regular breathwork can help us to recognise and challenge long-held limiting beliefs and lead to organic and lasting change.
The Buteyko Method has been shown to help lower blood pressure, improve circulation, athletic performance and mental focus, increase heart rate variability and energy levels and reduce anxiety and panic. Breathwork can improve the symptoms of many chronic illnesses, including asthma, long Covid and lower back pain. It can help with the symptoms of the peri-menopause and ADHD. And it can support us in times of stress and grief.
Through regular breathwork, we can be more flexible in our minds and bodies, with a greater capacity to respond to change. Breathwork helps us open up to higher awareness and access our creativity. Through it, we can restore peace, rediscover our child-like wonder and reclaim our joy – living more in the present, rather than the past or the future.
By changing our breathing, we can change our lives.