The Power of Breathing

The way we breathe has become something of a forgotten art...

In this article I discuss the power of conscious breathing and its' ability to heal us from the inside out.

Our Past:

Take your mind back in time, to an era where most tasks were completed outside; where meals were nourishing and simple, where sunlight was abundant, and the air was clean and fresh. Psychological pathologies were rare and chronic illnesses were only reserved for the poor and vulnerable. Our ancestors knew how to live and breathe. Our ancient ancestors only used their mouths when eating or drinking, and were able to sustain a productive and optimum level of well-being. Life back then was slow, intentional and functional.

Our Present:

But over time our thrive and survive responses have had to adapt to so much change and pressure in daily life, that the rise in chronic illness has become somewhat ‘acceptable’. An average family now takes on 5x the amount of tasks and responsibilities than of previous generations, pulling our thriving potential into constant survival.

Our breathing patterns change according to the environment we are in, but also according to the psycho-emotional state we are in. At the base of our skull we have small breathing receptors called Chemoreceptors. All day these receptors are sending out signals to our brain through our nervous system to regulate our breathing and heart function. Our breathing receptors also play an important role in the way we process our thoughts, feelings and memories, which, if impacted by a traumatic event, can send mixed signals to the brain causing the typical response of fight/flight/freeze and fawn.

Many of us believe and have been taught that trauma is something that happens to us. Of course, we all experience traumatic and highly stressful situations throughout our lives, think car accident, death of parent... But when we talk about trauma as something to heal, we are inviting a more bottom up approach. From a nervous system and trauma informed perspective we start to look at trauma as a sustained protection mechanism in which part or parts of the nervous system have been unable to complete there natural cycle/circuit. This doesn't involve talking therapy or analytics. It aims at repairing the system (your body, mind spirit) back to a place of regulation, agency and receptivity. We each hold trauma in our bodies. It is an automatic protective response during high stress/life/death events. But without realising it, our nervous systems stay 'plugged' into that tape recording. The same feelings come flooding back years and years after the event happened, activated by a sound, smell, emotion, thought or word. What most people don’t realise is that a high stressed career, family life, health condition is enough to keep our nervous system locked into this state, which makes it even harder to come out of. Imagine coming out of a dark room for a month then finally seeing daylight - it can hurt, burn our eyes. Most of us are not used to breathing properly. It’s something we give little attention to because we are not taught it from a young age. So once you do start to breathe properly for your body type, needs and lifestyle it can begin in very small stages. Re-training our breathing system takes dedication and motivation. But I can assure you, it is absolutely worth it!

Our Possible Future (!):

 ... So as an antidote to this, I decided to study Breathwork. I wanted to understand how conscious breathing could heal trauma from a neurobiological perspective as well as a spiritual/therapeutic perspective. I wanted to bring more agency into my life, more connection to myself and spirit, and to also optimise my health and well-being. Consciously breathing is like a big RESET for your brain, lungs, heart and organs. In fact breathing consciously for an extended period of time is proven to reduce inflammation, expel toxins from the body (especially liver and kidney) and calm the gut-mind connection.. and much more! There is a future for you where you can learn to embrace the most powerful and transformative (free) tool within your human body. Your breath really is your Lifeline to Intimacy!

My Practice:

I am here to help guide you on your breath journey; to practice finding new ways to feel, heal and improve overall health and well-being. You will learn to welcome many aspects of your experience by sending your breath there and allowing the different parts within you to feel seen and heard. It is an intimate practice and a pleasure to teach! Breathing Correctly & Consciously enables us to tap into one of the most ancient and primal mechanisms of the human eco-system. ​   

The two main ways we use breath in a coaching session:

​1. Conscious Connected Breathing (also called Hyperventilation Breathing) is a powerful way to re-organise memories, trauma and emotional responses. By consciously and safely activating the sympathetic nervous system (similar to a stress state), you will learn new ways to handle stress, change and big emotions. After multiple sessions you should feel a stronger sense of self-agency, calm and creativity. We call this "Active Coping".​

2. Functional Breathing (also called Hypoventilation Breathing) improves overall function of major organs within the body and helps to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and restore us back to a state of homeostasis. Functional breathing addresses conditions such as asthma, allergies and sleep apnoea by improving overall breathing efficiency and performance. By taking longer, slower breaths we also create a buffer which slows down our thoughts and reactions during times of stress and alarm. This is a powerful tool to take with you into the world!​

Now you know a little bit more about why breathing is so important it’s time for you to experience it yourself! Head over to my contact page to find out how!

What happens when you do too much breathwork >_<