Deep and slow breathing is also known as diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing. It is one of the tools I most often suggest to my clients. Deep breathing is one of the simplest and most effective ways to restore calm to both the body and the mind. Even as a "one-off" tool, deep breathing has immediate positive impact. When I suggest that they take a deep, slow breathe, people often give me a skeptical look ("Am I really paying you good money just to tell me to breathe!! Seriously??") Here is why breathing works.
The neuroscience of deep breathing
When we take slow and deep breaths, the diaphragm, a dome-shaped muscle that sits beneath the lungs, contracts and moves downward. This action expands the lungs and prompts the body's parasympathetic nervous system (the body "rest and digest" mode which generates states of calm) to activate, leading to a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure. Simultaneously, the brain's amygdala, responsible for processing emotions, receives signals of relaxation, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. Deep breathing also stimulates the vagus nerve, fostering a calming response throughout the body.
The benefits of deep breathing
Promotes immediate relaxation
Boosts mental clarity
Improved capacity to manage stress
Mindfulness and meditation support
Improves respiratory function
Enhanced cardiovascular health
Boosts the immune system by reducing stress
A few go-to breathing exercises
Simple Deep Breathing to Promote Relaxation: Sit or lie down comfortably. Place one hand on your belly (this will help bring the breath all the way down if you are new to deep breathing and normally shallow-breathe) . Inhale slowly through your nose, feeling your belly rise as you fill your lungs with air. Exhale slowly through your mouth, feeling your belly fall. Repeat for a few breathes, focusing on the sensation of your breath.
4-8 Breathing to Reduce Stress and Calm the Mind: Start by inhaling quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. Exhale completely through your mouth to a count of eight. Repeat this cycle a few more times. The inhale and exhale count can be adjusted to your breathing capacity (e.g. you can start with 3-6 and go up to 5-9 if comfortable). It is however important that the exhale is deep and longer than the inhale.
4-4-4-4 Box Breathing (Square Breathing) to Increase Focus: Visualize a square in your mind. Inhale through your nose to a count of four, imagining tracing the first side of the square. Hold your breath for a count of four as you trace the second side. Exhale slowly through your mouth for four counts, tracing the third side. Lastly, hold your breath for another count of four, completing the square. Repeat for a few squares.
Morning Breathing Wake-Up to Energize Your Body in the Morning: Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale deeply through your nose while raising your arms above your head. Stretch your body upward. Exhale through your mouth as you slowly lower your arms to the starting position. Repeat this sequence a few times.
Contact me if you would like help maximising the impact of deep breathing in your life or if you need additional support.