Working with the Breath

Our every mood and emotion is mirrored in the way we breathe.

When we’re relaxed and happy our breath is soft, deep and flows easily. When we’re fearful, angry or traumatized, however, we tend to hyperventilate; taking short shallow breaths or even holding our breath altogether! Often we don’t even notice this tendency, and many people become aware of their breathing only when they’re out of breath.

Abdominal Breathing

If we have been unconsciously holding our breath or hyperventilating for years, the natural flow of the breath becomes severely affected.  Consequently the neural pathways which transmit messages from the brain to the diaphragm no longer work and the body no longer remembers how to take natural deep abdominal breaths. Just observe young babies and see how their abdomen naturally rises and falls with every breath.

Most people only use a fraction of their lung capacity – taking small, shallow, upper thoracic breaths.

This means that they’re only inhaling a small amount of the energy that’s available from the abundant ocean of oxygen surrounding us. As a result, this leads to a gradual build up of toxicity in the body resulting in physical illness, stress related illness and nervous tension.

Re-Learning How to Breath 

From my years of experience teaching yoga and working for the Art of Living, I know the importance of healthy abdominal breathing. Many people need to re-learn this.

Through working with the breath I help my clients to become more aware of their breathing; changing shallow upper thoracic breaths to deep enriching abdominal breathing. Many toxins are stored in the (much larger) lower area of the lungs. Therefore the more deeply we breathe the more dynamically we eliminate these toxins.

Using our full lung capacity draws energy rich fresh air in to nourish the body right through to a cellular level. In other words, not only are our energy levels greatly improved but our ability to concentrate and deal with the challenges of daily life is greatly enhanced. Simply taking time to slow down the breath and refocus within the body can make a huge difference in our lives. Instead of generating more stress and amplifying our problems, we learn to detach, relax, sleep better and gain a greater balance in our lives.

Uncover Natures Healing

Practise this walking meditation, as an aid to working with the breath.

You can find more of these relaxation meditations over on my Youtube Channel. These guided meditation videos are devoted to bringing a state of calm and relaxation into your daily life, especially during these challenging times.