Breathe Well
Let’s talk about breathing.
Most of us breathe without thinking about it.
Some of us stop breathing for periods of time without thinking about it – like when you hold your breath for a moment or two when you are stressed or when you might just be deep in thought. Hopefully it’s not much longer than that because we would have to call 911 for you! Breathing is vital for our survival – but I didn’t have to tell you that, did I?
If we stopped to actually think about our breath, we might be surprised about what we can learn about it, as well as about ourselves.
In Chinese medicine, Dr. Qiang Chen, an acupuncturist, tells us breathing is seen as “the primary source for generating and recharging our vital life energy (Qi).”
Dr. Marti Olson Laney, a psychoanalyst, sees breathing as essential for raising our energy levels by delivering vital supplies to our muscles, keeping our minds clear, and maintaining our sense of well-being. “Every cell in our body requires it. As we breathe, oxygen enters the body and carbon dioxide exits. If we don’t breathe deeply enough, our oxygen level gets depleted and carbon dioxide builds up and increases acid in our blood, which results in a fuzzy head, a woozy feeling, and increased anxiety.” All of this can happen when we feel stress.
Dr. Raymond Prior, a psychology researcher, makes reference to the blood in our abdomen serving as the roadway and carrier for our digestion and energy production. When our bodies are stressed, a stress hormone called cortisol initiates the rapid movement of blood from our abdomen out to our limbs and brain... in case we need to act fast. If we need to act fast, then there’s no need to prioritize digestion and energy production. In order to get that blood to our limbs, it must be pumped there, “requiring our heart to beat faster and more heavily. Consequently, our breathing rate must keep up by getting faster, and often shallower, in order for the heart to pump blood quickly.”
We can see now that there is our normal way of breathing and our stressed way of breathing.
Marti offers some interesting questions to ask ourselves in order to notice our normal pattern of breathing:
Do you breathe shallowly or deeply?
Are your inhalations even or do you take in more air than you release?
Does your chest rise as you breathe?
Do you hold your breath?
Do you sigh a lot?
What is probably the most important thing to understand is that there is a gold standard for breathing.
Did you know that the gold standard for breathing is slow and abdominal, which means breathing right below your belly button?
If you do already know that, then I’m happy for you.
If you didn’t know that and your breathing doesn’t meet that threshold, then what can you do?
Marti offers a solution for us:
“Find a comfortable place to lie down on a mat or carpet. Put a folded towel under your head and a pillow under your knees. Place one hand on your abdomen and the other hand on your chest over your breastbone. Now take a roomy breath. Which hand rises and falls the most? The goal is to have the hand on your abdomen higher. With practice, you can learn to breathe deeply from your belly so that it becomes automatic. As you continue to inhale, inflate your stomach. Exhale as you push your stomach down. Visualize your tummy as a balloon, enlarging and shrinking as you inhale and exhale. Breathe in and out through your nose in a rhythmic pattern.”
I know from experience that this type of breathing will feel a little (or very) odd at first. With practice, I am getting better at this belly breathing.
Marti goes on to tell us that switching from just barely filling our lungs with air to belly breathing will increase energy and calmness and that our bodies will thank us. I think our bodies deserve that!
I also like how Raymond tells us that we can use our breath as a steadfast anchoring point to the present moment, because it is always with us. No one can take our breath away – well, except those who astonish or inspire us with awed respect or delight (Oxford Languages has a way with words).
Try this little exercise to find your steadfast anchoring point which Raymond shared from his recommended mindfulness practice from Ken Ravizza: “take a moment to allow your attention to connect with the movement of your breath. There is no need to change your breathing, judge it, or overtly try to control it. Simply allow your attention to wrap around your breath.” Sit with this awareness for five breaths. Then ask yourself:
“Where was the connection point between my focus and my breath?” Or,
“How do I know I’m breathing?”
These questions, according to Raymond, automatically make us focus on some visceral or physical sensation of how we physically and directly experience our breath in the present moment.
When we are experiencing stress, we can find that anchoring point and then we can consciously move back to our gold standard of breathing.
Perhaps you are worried that this is easier said than done? Don’t fret. There are a myriad of practices which focus on our breath and breathing, such as meditation and mindfulness, or you might work with a breathwork coach.
I will start you off with two different breathing exercises which will regulate your breathing, reduce stress and anxiety, as well as increase your energy, focus, and attention. These two exercises are similar, yet you might be drawn to one over the other. Try them both. I prefer Exercise #2 myself.
Exercise #1
Close your eyes or focus on a single point in front of you.
Breathe in deeply from your belly through your nose for a count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of four.
Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of four.
Hold your breath for a count of four.
Repeat several times.
Exercise #2
Close your eyes or focus on a single point in front of you.
Breathe in deeply from your belly through your nose and hold it for a count of four.
Exhale through your mouth to a count of six.
Repeat several times.
Notice how relaxed you feel now and how regulated your breathing is. At least, that is my wish for you.
I have learned a lot about breathing – ever since a health practitioner (outside of the medical system) noted my shallow chest breathing – and I’m glad I now know what the gold standard is for breathing and its importance for energy production and steadfast anchoring – and our overall well-being.
Resources
Laney Psy.D., Marti Olsen. The Introvert Advantage: How Quiet People Can Thrive in an Extrovert World. (pp. 259, 295). Kindle Edition.
Prior, Raymond. 2023. Golf Beneath the Surface. Dallas, Texas: BenBella Books, Inc. pp. 36, 129-130, 137.
Chen, Qiang. 2020. The Energy Book: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Overcoming Fatigue and Restoring Energy. p. 26.
The above two exercises have been adapted from Box Breathing which is a breathing technique used by Navy Seals as well as a breathing exercise from Marti Laney, and a Generative AI summary by Google’s search engine.
