So how can breathing help? - Sarah Gartshore, Founder of Bright + Well Yoga

As a yoga teacher, one of the most powerful tools that I share is how to use breath to impact our physical and emotional health. 

I’m sure we have all experienced the feeling of being out of control in the moment, or the gradual build-up of stress over time. We may lose our ability to think clearly and maintain a sense of perspective. We may even start to experience symptoms of chronic stress, such as digestive issues, poor immune system or panic attacks. 

So how can breathing help?

It starts with awareness. Try it now. How are you breathing? Deep or shallow? Where can you feel it the most? Does it feel free or is there resistance? Breath awareness is simply becoming more conscious of the way that you breathe, and how this changes as we move through the day. 

In moments of stress our breathing tends to become shallow. We brace ourselves to react and our nervous system senses that we should be on high alert, triggering our fight, flight or freeze response. Non-essential bodily functions such as digestion, immune system, libido and ability for rational thought are by-passed. Our bodies are designed to do this so that we can run away in times of danger. However, current day threats tend to be due to information consumed or a lack of prioritisation of rest. Our bodies produce stress hormones that remain in our system, unused, creating a negative cycle of stress. 

It isn’t all bad news. As well as the breath being affected by the nervous system, the nervous system can also be influenced by the breath. If we slow down our breath, particularly by making the exhale longer than the inhale, we move into the ‘relaxation response’ (See research by Herbert Benson.) which allows the body to rest and digest, and move out of this stressed state. 

And it’s not just our day-to-day lives that can benefit from this relaxation response. There are positive effects on our health such as lowering blood pressure, reducing stress hormones and physical tension. 

To cultivate greater breath awareness and bring about a sense of calm, give the following exercises a try...

If you notice your attention is drawn away from the breath during these exercises, just return to it each time without judgement;

Breath Awareness
Check in regularly throughout the day. If you notice that your breath is fast and high up in your chest, slowly draw the inhale down to the belly and slowly exhale. Repeat as necessary and notice the impact. 

Three Part Breath
Sit comfortably with your hands on your belly. Close your eyes. 
Inhale into your belly as though filling a balloon with breath and feel the hands move outwards on the inhale, and return slowly on the exhale.
Repeat for three breaths. 
Move your hands to the ribs. Inhale into the tummy and the ribs, feeling movement side to side and forward and back. Exhale slowly. 
Repeat for 3 breaths.
Lastly, place hands on the chest, just under the collar bones. 
Inhale into the tummy, the ribs and the chest.
Slowly exhale. 
Repeat for 3 breaths. 
Allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm. 
Notice how you feel. 

Extend the exhale. 
Close your eyes. 
Count from one as you inhale. 
Count from one as you exhale, making the exhale a couple of counts longer than the inhale. 
Repeat for at least 2 minutes for as many breaths as you like.

I hope you find this useful. If you want to find out more about my classes and online videos, find me at:

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Bio:

I am a mum of two, part-time accountant, and Yoga and Wellness teacher, based online and in Ipswich, Suffolk. I teach Yoga classes and self-care workshops, including specialist classes for pregnant and postnatal women.  My online classes can be booked via my website. Feel free to send me a message if you want to find out more.