Breath – why it works to reduce stress and fear

“I love breathing, because I feel calm, centered, relaxed, connected, safe, and alive.”

Meditation, yoga, bodywork, martial artists, and athletes use breath to bring about focus, inner connection, and calm.  Many of my clients are “stuck” in a past memory or trauma that freezes their physical movement, emotional response, and even mental clarity.  Panic attacks may be triggered by many things AND rapid breath that accompanies panic will always exaggerate the sensation of fear.

Why does breath “work” to bring about a state of calm?  How does it get someone past a panic attack or focus a person in the here and now?

There are some fundamental physical structures involved in breathing:  the lungs, ribs, intercostal muscles (the muscles between your ribs), and diaphragm.  When someone enters a trauma response their breath becomes rapid and shallow.  The diaphram and intercostals move in short, rapid contractions resulting in shallow breathing.  In accustomizing to repeated trauma responses the body  adjusts to this new normal state of breathing and the person  breathes lightly.  Then when a trigger stimulates another chronic trauma response, their breath becomes even shallower or can stop.

When I do ergonomic consulting (www.evolutionergonomics.com) I notice that office workers tense and their breath shortens when there is a stress trigger.  It may be as simple as a ringing phone or an email from a negative contact such as a difficult client.  They stop breathing and then continue with rapid, shallow breaths.

People can be nervous in a crowd, talking with co-workers, riding a bus, or going to write an exam.  Their breath shortens, shoulders rise, and their stress increases.  It can become a vicious cycle.

So, how to change?  Can you stop your day and go to yoga? Can you change your environment or go outside to meditate in the rain or snow?  These options will dissipate stress but are disruptive.

One very effective antidote to stress is breath.  You are a combination of your mind and body.  Breath takes your body out of the chronic trauma response by immediately changing the inner environment.  Expansion of the intercostals and diaphram is the physical opposite of the stressed state. Expansion will trigger a body memory of calm and ease  which leads to increased physical and emotional flexibility, energy flow, and clarity of thought.  Your body can support your mind and reduce your stress!

Practise is a good idea.  Increase your bodymind accessability to the calm and ease state.  Grow the neural pathways in your brain that associate pleasure and relaxation. You can do this exercise ANYWHERE that you are hands free – on the bus, at your desk, watching TV, in bed as you’re going to sleep, waking up or talking on the phone.

Let go of any expectation to breathe in any particular way.

Put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.

Invite the breath into your body and notice:

The rise and fall of the hand on your chest.

The rise and fall of the hand on your belly.

Notice what changes in your body and mind.

… and let me know!  I welcome feedback on techniques as well as comments on the blog content.

 

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