It’s always very difficult to explain to people why they need to practice breathing when they’re standing there with their chests going up and down and nobody is expecting to see a hearse arrive anytime soon.
But then there’s breathing, and not breathing all that well.
There’s an important relationship between breathing, emotion, and the autonomic nervous system, and if you can get that relationship into balance then you will be a healthier, calmer and much happier person.
Practising abdominal breathing is the best way to achieve that balance. Abdominal breathing leads automatically to physical and mental relaxation and better mental and physical health - and once you've got the hang of it you can do it whenever or wherever you want, or need, to.
When people are calm and composed, abdominal breathing is the norm. When people are anxious and stressed, on the other hand, costal (or chest) breathing can become the norm. Costal breathing is shallow, unsteady and jerky, which naturally results in the mind and the emotions becoming unsteady also, so that it becomes impossible to relax. That in turn leads to tension and anxiety which leads to continued costal breathing, thus creating a vicious circle that goes round and round and on and on until something finally breaks down.
It isn’t difficult to achieve and maintain an optimum abdominal breathing pattern. It just takes practice and a few minutes of your time every day. And it's something that you can build on - a simple technique that forms the basis of other 'stress breaking' habits.
Here’s one way of breathing in a less stressful life. Read the exercise through carefully a couple of times so as to be sure that you can remember what you need to do:
1. Lie on your back with your feet apart. Allow your feet to flop loosely, heels turned inwards and toes turned outwards.
2. Let your arms flop loosely away from your body, palms turned upward and fingers loosely curled.
3. Close your eyes, and take a moment to enjoy lying down in this physically relaxed position.
4. Put one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
5. Take a moment to become aware of the rate and rhythm of your breath.
6. Note which hand is moving as you breathe.
7. Inhale and exhale slowly, smoothly and deeply.
8. Try to pull your abdominal muscles in as you exhale. If you feel that you want to, you can push those muscles in gently with your hand.
9. Put your hands back by your sides and continue breathing in and out. The only thing you need to think about now is the gentle rise and fall of your abdomen. (In general, people breathe in and out twelve to sixteen times a minute when they are resting. You may find that your breathing slows as you relax).
10. Get up slowly only when you are ready to get up. That could be in five minutes or in fifteen minutes or when you wake up on this first occasion. It really depends upon how tired and stressed you have allowed yourself to become. As you progess, you will find that five minutes will be the norm.
Practice for five minutes every day. If you have a problem dealing with this method of practising abdominal breathing, I’ll be talking about another method later this week. In the meantime one or another of us will be talking about other ways to use your body to reduce stress.
