by
Cherith Pedersen
We inhale 20,000 times a day.
It’s the first and last thing we do on the planet. In ancient Asian practices the act of breathing becomes an art to bring about overall well-being, and as a spiritual conduit. When we are stressed, our breathing often becomes shallow. Far from the more relaxed breathing that fills the diaphragm. So how do we get better at this simple yet very vital act to bring about wellbeing?
The first step is to focus on breathing. This is especially important in these times of COVID, when the very air we inhale can threaten our health. Improving the way we breathe can serve to help reduce stress. Taking time-outs during the day to practise breathing properly can yield many positive rewards in just one week.
Beyond flushing the lungs properly with a deep inhale, a good breathing technique is also said to boost the lymphatic system as it gets rid of toxins. Additionally, helping the lymphatic system to get rid of waste plays a critical role in the immune system and tissue regeneration.
Dr Howard Murad, developer of Murad skincare, reminds us that shallow breathing is not only linked to chronic stress, but also poor circulation, creating a vicious cycle that leaves the skin both oilier and more dehydrated. Dehydrated skin can lead to fine lines, wrinkles, and reduced ability of the skin to protect against ageing from UV rays.
Writer Laura Kennedy in the Sunday Times wrote on how proper breathing can tell your body that you are no longer in danger – slow it down. Stress takes us out of our bodies while breathing makes us refocus and drop right back into them. When you try simply doubling the length of your exhale, your body reaps a bounty of benefits. Try it now. Breathe through the nose, expanding the diaphragm (by expanding your belly outwards) inhale for a count of two and exhale for a count of four. This simple technique is easy to do and can be done anywhere and anytime.
Studies in diaphragm breathing have shown that it triggers body relaxation that benefit both mental and physical health. In fact researchers (Tsang et al, 2006) and (Sherlin et al, 2010) have shown it to assist as a non-drug treatment for depression and reduction in anxiety. Health benefits have been accrued when diaphragm or deep breathing is combined with meditation, yoga and Tai Chi.
The expression that we can’t pour from an empty cup applies the same theory of putting your oxygen mask on first before you assist others. A combination of both deep breathing and mindfulness meditation are effective to reduce stress and job-related burnout. Persons on the frontline can use both techniques to cumulatively reduce the stress associated with this type of work. One need not be Buddhist or Hindu to engage. It is just a way of giving mind and body a quick time-out in order to recharge in as little as ten minutes.
Mindfulness is a simple way to control our racing mind. In these times we can be filled with worry and anxiety, with our thoughts constantly racing to figure out what next. We cannot stop the mind from thinking as that is what it’s designed to do. However, we are in control of how we relate to our thoughts, and how we react to them. This awareness of our stream of thoughts from moment to moment helped author of Developing a Mindfulness Meditation Practice for Wellbeing and Resilience, to cope in the span of three and a half years with losing both parents to cancer, being a caregiver to an addicted family member and a serious concussion.
She credits mindfulness meditation to rewiring her brain through persistent practice as it increased its neuroplasticity and built her own resilience. She adds that mindfulness leads to us being in observation mode where our thoughts are concerned. We look at them as transient without judgement or becoming attached to any of them. This in turn helps us to be fully engaged and present in our bodies instead of worrying about the “what-ifs” in our lives. Psychologist Dr Rick Hanson says “Our brains are velcro for bad experiences and Teflon for good experiences.”
Our ancestors brains were wired this way to prevent them from being eaten by predators, so it is a natural instinct to overplay and overlearn from the bad experiences or stress. Experiencing stress today can make us more sensitive to the stress we experience tomorrow. Instead of making us more resilient to stress we become in fact more sensitive. One way we can break this circuit, and interrupt our brain’s overlearning from painful/ stressful events is through meditation and “deep breathing”.
Helpful apps: Headspace to establish a routine of regular practice; Insight timer has guided meditations, yoga, videos, music etc; Tenpercent happiermeditation and sleep has over 500 guided meditations, videos and talks as well as sleep specific content.
Cherith Pedersen is a Creative Arts therapist, Artist and Clinical Mental Health Counsellor. See more about her healing services at www.lezhaste.com.
