Breathe

Just breathe

As yoga teachers we say it all the time and in our daily lives too. We advise “take a breath” when someone is anxious or excited. We say ” I was holding my breath” when something exciting or frightening happened. We know instinctively that breath can be truly healing, taking long, slow breathes can be deeply calming.

And yet we take breathing entirely for granted most of the time. A good job then, that our body knows what to do, supported by our autonomic nervous system This part of our nervous system regulates all of our body systems like heart rate, digestion, kidney, bladder and bowel functions that operate outside of our conscious control. Yet breath, uniquely, is the one autonomic system which we can bring under conscious control and it can influence all of the others.

Breath practice lies at the heart of yoga as a way to enter the meditative state and is often termed pranayama (energy/breath control).

Pranayama is often confused with pure breath work, but it is far, far more.  It is really all about accessing our energy body, with the breath as just one way to do this.  That said, the power of our breath is AWESOME!  From keeping us alive, to regulating our emotions and looking after our beautiful brains, our breath really is the business.

And yet less is more.  We actually oxygenate the body more from quiet, subtle breathing than we do from forced, deep inhalations.  I know.  Feels totally counter intuitive but the science backs this up.

Breath is anatomy and physiology ….

The main muscle we associate with breathing is our diaphragm, that large band of muscle that separates our upper torso (heart and lungs) from our lower.  Lungs are made of passive tissue that cannot move by itself.

But did you know that we also have muscles in our neck, chest and abdomen that also help us to breathe?  They help to lift the rib cage when we breathe in, and change the volume of the abdominal cavity to help us to breathe out.  Large muscles in the back like the quadratus lumborum can also restrict our breathing if they are tight.

Air enters through our nose where it is cleaned of dust, pollen and germs, and warmed up before beginning its journey down our windpipe (trachea to give it’s anatomical name), over our voicebox (larynx) and into the lungs.  In the lungs, the trachea splits into smaller and smaller branches, a bit like an upside down tree, until the smallest twigs are responsible for transferring oxygen into the blood.

Breath is brain function…

We all recognise that the quality of our breath has an effect on our brain.  When we are very stressed or anxious, our breath becomes shallower and it is difficult to think clearly.  Hyperventilation, breathing rapidly, is associated with panic attacks.  

When we breathe quickly it stimulates our sympathetic nervous system, making us feel scared, anxious or even excited.  When we breathe in a regular pattern, called ‘coherent breathing’, we stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us to feel calm and able to think more clearly.  The quality of our breath is connected to learning and memory, understanding, emotion and concentration.

Want to feel more creative?  Then breathe slowly and deeply to your diaphragm.  This will boost Alpha brain waves that not only boost creativity but can help with learning AND reduce depression.

Breath is balance...

Between our right and left brain hemispheres, our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, our energetic and relaxed states, our solar and lunar energies and our analytical and intuitive ways of thinking.

When we breathe differently, we can activate those parts of the brain that are most useful to us at any one time.  It would be no good being too relaxed or sleepy in a job interview, for example, but who wants to go to bed with boundless, restless energy so that we don’t sleep?

We can use our breath to provide calm and restfulness by lengthening our out breath, and we can use our breath to energise ourselves too. Yogic breaths like bhastrika where we use a forceful inhale and exhale can increase our energy, and any deeper, strong breathing tells the body to get ready for activity.

Breath is health and wellbeing…

How we breathe affects all aspects of our physical and mental health, from our heart rate and circulation, how our digestive tract works, to our emotions, sleep and mental well being.

Our heart speeds up slightly when we inhale and slows down again when we exhale.  This is known as heart rate variability (HRV).  When there is a big difference between the heart rate on the inhale and exhale this is known as HIGH HRV, and is good.  High HRV is linked to positive emotions, good brain function and resilience to stress. 

And how can we create high HRV?  Through our breath, of course.  Specifically through a regular practice of coherent breathing, using gentle subtle breathing.  Find out how below.

Coherent breathing

Find a comfortable place to sit or lie.  Soften your gaze, or close your eyes completely if you are comfortable to do so.

First notice your regular breath.  Perhaps you feel cool air in your nostrils as you breathe in, or a little movement in your shoulders, chest or belly.  Notice that your breath can be subtle and gentle; we don’t need to breathe deeply and force air in and out of our bodies.

As you start to settle, without forcing, gently lengthen your exhale.  If you like to count, add one beat; if not, just notice that it takes a little longer for the air to leave your body.  Tune into the sensations in your body.  Perhaps in time the inhale slows down too, to mirror the exhale.

When your in and out breaths are roughly equal, stay for 3-5 minutes breathing like this, keeping your active mind on your breath.  You can use a mantra like ‘I am breathing in, I am breathing out’ as you breathe, count each breath ‘In 2,3,4… out 2,3,4’ or simply relax and allow your body to lead.

After a few minutes, let your breath fall back into a comfortable, natural rhythm.  Sit a while and notice the after effects of this practice.

Top Tips to Improve the Quality of Your Breath

Posture: Practice sitting and standing with a relaxed but upright posture, shoulders aligned over your hips.

Breathe through your nose: Your nose cleans and warms up the air you breathe. It also speeds it up so that it travels further into your lungs where more oxygen transfer takes place, leaving you feeling more energised.

Stretch: Stretching and exercise can increase our lung capacity. Yoga is fantastic exercise for the lings as it stretches us in all directions, plus you get a bespoke breathing practice too!

Chew: Chewing keeps our facial muscles strong and toned, and keeps our nasal passages open. Choose crunchy uncooked food like raw carrots, apples and unsalted nuts.

Breathe gently: We access more oxygen from each breath when we breathe quietly than when we force our breath.

Final thoughts

Breath is life and it also the quality of our life. From mental well being, to getting a good night’s sleep, from managing stress to feeling creative, the quality of our breathing affects every single aspect of our lives. Isn’t that worth a little daily practice?

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It’s all about energy …

A few weeks ago, I spent the weekend exploring restorative yoga and meditation with a group of yoga buddies.  Boy!  Was I looking forward to that weekend after months of supporting family health needs, young adult transitions,  and various pet, pooch and pony needs without much of a break for myself at any time.  Two whole days of lying down in some of the yummiest yoga positions known to humankind, simply being mindful.  What could be better?

Well as it turned out, quite a lot actually.

By the end of two days, I felt REALLY down and that low mood continued for several days. 

But why?  

Isn’t mindfulness the keystone of emotional, mental and physical wellbeing?  Somehow we have developed a cultural belief in relaxation and mindfulness as the quick ‘fix-it’ for all our 21st century ills, but for whatever reason, my brain had missed the memo.

Mindfulness originated as a practice in the Buddhist tradition. In the modern world, it has come to be associated with paying attention in the present moment in a meditative way.  It has been cited as a cure all for everything from stress, depression and anxiety to coping with  modern living.  It is now used extensively by medical, therapeutic and non medical practitioners with a wide range of individuals and for a wide range of reasons.  

It turns out, however, that belief in the ‘super hero’ quality of mindfulness is a little displaced with Buddhist gurus being replaced by modern day theorists and scientists.  The evidence for its effectiveness is sketchy and even the good old NHS website notes that whilst mindfulness can be helpful, it is not for everyone and can make some people feel worse.  Yikes!

So did my low mode come from an extended stay in relaxation and mindfulness?

I popped the question to my yoga teacher buddies and we came up with a different theory.

In yoga, we talk about the Gunas, three fundamental energies that form prakriti or matter.  Everything in the universe, animate and inanimate is made up from prakriti and so everything is connected.  The Universe is in a constant state of flux as these three energies fall in and out of balance.

The three gunas are:

Tamas:  Ignorance and inertia.  A tamasic person may be prone to depression, apathy, boredom and self doubt. Tamas can be associate with the past and with acceptance

Raja: Action and passion.  A rajasic person may be passionate, and not know when to stop. Rajas is associated with the future, desire and the external.

Sattva: Purity and knowledge. This is the state of the harmonious present, awakening and conscious self knowledge.  It is the ideal state holding the other two in balance. A truly sattvic person may be happy in the service of others without aspiring to any reward for themselves.

We hold aspects of all three gunas within us, and they ebb and flow throughout each day, and throughout our lives.  After all it would be no good being rajasic when we need to sleep, or full of tamas when we have a job interview. Perhaps we are more rajasic when we are involved in our careers, but can become a little more sattvic raising our children.   In truth, we each also have a default, or comfortable state.  Call me Rajas, why don’t you?!!!

The important thing is to keep these energies in balance, and to tap into the one we need, when we need it.  We are resilient when we can move easily between one state and another, bouncing back quickly to a point of equilibrium and harmony.

So perhaps my low mood had little to do with the state of mindfulness itself, but rather more, an extended stay in the tamasic state, when my energies needed something a little different.  Perhaps too much tamas is not my thing and I’ll leave restorative yoga where I usually put it, a lovely practice to end a workshop or retreat. 

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