09 Oct Just Breathe
Take a moment now to stop and notice how you are breathing.
Are you breathing through your nose or your mouth?
Are you breathing in a way that your stomach rises and falls naturally with each breath or is your stomach held in?
We know that there are many different ways that a person can breathe – yet we were designed to breathe in certain ways for a reason.
When you watch a small baby or child sleeping you will notice that they breathe through their nose, filling their lungs deeply with air which extends their stomach and they are so relaxed. Have you ever had the thought “I wish I could just sleep like a baby”?
When you get yourself into an anxious or stressful situation your breathing automatically changes to help you out. It is designed that way. When you go into flight or fight mode then the first thing that happens is your pupils dilate to help you see what is going on around you and your heartbeat increases, preparing itself for action, and then you begin to breathe through your mouth – short shallow breaths through your chest. At the same time you begin to shut down parts of your nervous system and decrease the blood flow to your digestive organs as what is needed in this moment is the blood flow to your muscles in order to run away or stay and fight!
Your body is now ready to take survival action. It may not be the age of the sabre-tooth tiger any more, yet, your body does not know that and anything that triggers the flight or fight mode like having to go for a job interview; confronting somebody over an issue or worrying about the future and its unknown can create fear, thus, stimulating the flight, fight or even freeze system to take action.
Your nose was designed as your breathing tube and when you breathe through your nose the body knows it is safe and it can relax. Your mouth was designed to eat with and as a backup breathing tube for stressful situations e.g. when running on the treadmill you will breathe through your mouth as your body comes under stress when performing exercise. So, when you are breathing through your mouth, your body takes it as a signal that you are in a stressful situation. You can often become stuck in this mode: the muscles in your upper back become tight, your shoulders become hunched and, consequently, your body is not able to deliver the essential oxygen it needs for the rest of your body.
It could be that you may have not been breathing correctly for many years. This would take a toll on your body, your mind and emotions, so, check in regularly with how you are breathing. When you notice that you are unnecessarily breathing through your mouth, stop what you are doing and roll your shoulders back – this also helps to straighten your back and lift your heart. Take a deep breath in and exhale out, make it nice and long, just like when you give a big sigh. Your body recognises this as a sign that it is okay to begin to relax and then begin to breathe through your nose, deeply into your lungs allowing your stomach to rise and fall. As you start to feel relaxed, safe and calm your breath will find its own natural rhythm. Your thoughts will become slower and clearer and any unwanted emotions will subside.
As an Intuitive Holistic Healer I am very aware of how trapped emotions can affect your mental energy, your physical body and your energy field – some of which you may have held onto for many years; perhaps from a childhood incident, from a breakdown in a relationship or from the loss of a loved one. When emotions become stuck within the physical body many different illnesses can occur over time from being tired and feeling stuck to things that are more challenging like autoimmune diseases.
Healing can help you release stuck energies and although you may feel that you are not looking for therapy, I can offer you a safe place to reflect on your journey, release stuck emotions and explore who you are and who you are becoming. My approach is always tailored to individual needs and I believe in sharing with my clients many skills and strategies that will enable them to help themselves as they move forward in life, helping them to find passion, purpose and peace.