Harness the Power of Your Breath
What if I told you that you have a free tool at your disposal any minute of the day to support you in times of stress and frustration. Would you use it?
Explored since ancient Vedic times in yogic practices, Breathwork has been a tool used for centuries that is now gaining traction in the wellness world as a healing modality to support the everyday individual through challenging times.
Now, this is the part when most people stop reading. You might be thinking “I know how to breathe. I know it is important, I do it every minute of every day”. The secret to breathwork, though, is in the technique used and the timing you choose to focus on breathing, which may not come naturally to most people.
Today, we will share those secrets and you will explore what breathwork is, the physiological responses occurring in your body while doing breathwork, and how you can integrate this practice into your daily routine.
We’ll also share Healcove staff’s favorite breathing techniques. Click here to read that part now.
Breathing deep and slow beats short and quick (in normal situations)
Humans are diaphragmatic breathers by nature, meaning that your body is designed to breathe deeply into your belly as your diaphragm contracts. Breathing is a mostly unconscious action, so more often than not, you don’t put much thought into how you breathe. Over time, factors like stress and poor posture can shift your breathing habits from slow diaphragmatic breathing to quick & short breaths out of your chest. If your shoulders tend to rise and fall when you take a breath, that is a sign that you are not diaphragmatically breathing. When you are not utilizing the full power of your breath by diaphragmatically breathing, you miss out on some of the key benefits of this style of breathing.
Using deep breathing techniques has been shown to help support individuals who are experiencing excess stress, anxiety, & depression (PMID: 30245619). It slows down the heart rate, drops the cortisol levels in the body, and shifts your body from a state of panic to a state of relaxation.
Deep breathing techniques have also been shown to improve focus and attention by activating the areas of the brain associated with attention, memory, & cognitive function (PMID: 2862643).
Healcove’s Chiropractor Dr. Shane Kelly describes how deep, diaphragmatic breathing can help also help support stabilization in the body:
“Utilizing the diaphragm to create, maintain, and modulate pressure in the abdominal cavity creates synergy between the diaphragm, pelvic floor, abdominal wall, and segmental spinal stabilizers. This synergy, coordination, and control allow this system to work as a unit to hold the spine up against gravity, allow for segmental spinal movement, provide the stability for movements of the limbs, and optimally transfer kinetic forces through the body. “
Utilizing the power of your breath is a tool that you can use to shift your reaction to common stressors and challenging situations. It can also support you in inviting a more calm, focused, & relaxed state of mind as you breeze through your tasks for the day. The breath can also support you in the stabilization of your body and aid you in pain management.
Your physiological response to breathwork
To fully understand how deep breathing works, let’s revisit the basics of the nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system is in charge of sending signals to the body for involuntary functions such as breathing, pupil dilation, and heart rate. This part of the nervous system is broken down further into two separate entities - the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Your sympathetic nervous system is associated with the physiological responses of the body when you are in “fight or flight” mode. These are a rapid heartbeat, pupil dilation, chest breathing, an increase in cortisol, & other symptoms to support you in an emergency situation. These responses were beneficial when humans had to switch into “fight or flight” mode in times when they had to run for their lives from predators in a dangerous world. These responses supported running long distances, staying aware of your surroundings, and getting yourself to safety. In modern society, our predators have shifted from a tiger in the jungle to your boss, pressuring you with a deadline - something that sweaty palms and a racing heart don’t support in the same way.
On the opposite spectrum of this, your parasympathetic nervous system is associated with the physiological response of the body when you are in the “rest & digest” mode. This would be a slower heart rate, pupil constriction, slower breathing patterns, a decrease in cortisol, & other symptoms to support you in rest and relaxation. Ideally, your parasympathetic nervous system should be activated most of the time throughout your day. When your parasympathetic nervous system is activated, you are able to tackle your day in a more relaxed, grounded, & centered state.
The challenge comes in switching from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic when a stressful situation arises. Using deep, slow belly breathing can help shift the activation of the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous through stimulation of the vagus nerve. This is where the power of the breath comes into play.
How to do breathwork
There are different types of breathwork techniques that can be utilized to meet different goals. Breathwork sessions can last anywhere from 1 minute to 3 hours depending on your goals. Longer breathwork sessions, ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours, would be done with a coach to support you throughout the process. For the purpose of this article, you will learn a breathwork technique that is short, concise, and available to you at any moment of the day.
You will learn how to activate your breath using slow belly breathing to switch from the sympathetic nervous system to parasympathetic nervous system. This is a breathing technique that can be done virtually anywhere, at any time, to help shift your body’s initial response to a certain stressful situation or experience.
Start by finding a place where you can sit comfortably, with room for your stomach to expand. Place one hand on your stomach, and the other on your chest. Start by breathing in through your nose, expanding your belly out. Our chiropractors recommended also focusing on expanding your belly out to the sides, and out your back as well. Once you’ve inhaled for about 10 seconds, slowly exhale through your mouth for another 10 seconds, allowing your chest and belly to fall. Start by repeating this breathing pattern 10 times in a row. You can slowly start to work your way up to breathing like this for 1 minute, 3 minutes, and even 5 minutes.
Healcove’s staff favorite breathing techniques
Dr. Travis’s favorite breathwork method is the popular Wim Hof breathing technique. This breathing technique is helpful in down regulating your nervous system and supporting your immune system. The pattern will start with a strong inhale through your nose and a strong exhale through your mouth, which will then be repeated for 30 breaths. On your 30th breath, you will slowly exhale about 90% of the air in your lungs, then hold your breath for at least 15 seconds. This pattern should be repeated 3-4 times in a row to achieve the maximum effects.
Jann Rey’s favorite breathwork method is the box breathing method. For this method of breathing, you will breath in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breath out of your mouth for 4 seconds, and hold your breath for four seconds. This simple pattern can be repeated several times until the desired effects are achieved. You can also adjust the length of the breath patterns to suit your needs - you can breathe for 4 seconds, 10 seconds, or even 15 seconds to lengthen the breath time.
Hazel’s favorite breathwork method is called the Breath of Fire. This method uses only exhales through the nose. This pattern will begin with a strong exhale out of your nose and you will repeat this for at least 30 seconds up until one minute. The breath of fire is a great way to quickly reset your nervous system throughout the day and help to center and ground yourself.
How to incorporate breathwork into your daily routine
The best part about breathwork is that it is a tool that you have at your disposal, for free, at any moment of the day.
Starting with a 5-minute breathwork practice into your morning or evening routine is a great way to keep up a consistent practice. Finding a moment of calm before the start or end of a busy day while using breathwork can help you activate the parasympathetic nervous system, bringing you feelings of reduced stress & improved mental clarity. You can think of this model of breathwork as a preventative measure. In addition to improving stress levels and mental clarity over time, this study found that a consistent deep breathing practice could help improve sustained attention and a positive mood. (PMID: 2862643)
You can also incorporate breathwork practices when you are in challenging or stressful situations. Making a point to take a moment to focus on your breathing can help you stay grounded and present when experiencing challenges. Whether you are having a hard workday, a tough moment with your kids or a triggering conversation with a loved one - breathwork can support you in returning to yourself.
Our chiropractors are movement & mobility specialists. We evaluate lifestyles and partner with our patients to make lasting improvements in their health and fitness. Learn more about Healcove chiropractors and how we approach health and fitness setbacks.