Breathing P.2
Breathe in Emotional Resilience
The transitions we are currently living are testing our emotional and mental resilience in more than one way. We have not resolved one situation when the next one is already upon us. And here I'm talking in a global context, not the personal & immediate dilemmas we may be facing simultaneously. But it adds up.
It feels like there is no place to run and hide for a bit. Right? A moment to go to a bubble where you can be vulnerable, shake it off, and gather up your strength.
But there is a way to process the emotions & happenings healthily. I invite you to take a breather. And no, it's not easy, but it is that simple.
It’s not just survival it’s about healing
When you practice proper breathing techniques - slow and deep breaths through the nose until lungs are at capacity & your belly rises- you override the impulsive reactions of the mind to stress triggers. You proactively and single-handedly deactivate your sympathetic nervous system from signaling alert messages to your body - or your fight, flight, or freeze response. Your body processes that if you can calmly take a breath, then there is no real danger.
Slow and steady diaphragmatic breaths activate the vagus nerve. This nerve messages your brain to turn on the sympathetic nervous system - that calming response that tells your body that you are safe.
So yes, your body needs oxygen to stay alive. But inhales & exhales can do much more given the opportunity. Quality breaths have many health benefits for your emotional & mental health.
Activates the parasympathetic nervous system inducing relaxation in the body
Weakens response to triggers of stress, anger, anxiety & sadness
Soothe and slow down an overthinking mind and support rational thinking
Allows you to reach a deeper state of mind that heals old wounds, limiting beliefs, and even traumas
Breathing can substitute old & unsatisfactory default coping mechanisms with healthy & effective alternatives
Breathing supports your physiological health in many aspects. Check out this blog post if you wish to learn more about that.
It's proven!
A study by the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research proved that breathing pace affects different regions in the brain. A shallow & rapid breath rate increased activity in the Amygdala, triggering anxiety, fear, or anger. An intentional rhythmic pace prompts the insula to activate the autonomic nervous system. Consequently, increasing self-awareness of the body's physical state.
There is a link between how you breathe and triggering specific responses in the way you feel or behave.
Now take a minute to reflect on your breath when you are overwhelmed or angry. Can you recall? Or was breathing not part of the conscious effort to overcome the emotion?
You can say nose breathing is like a pulling lever to activate a
whole-body stability regulation protocol. If you are feeling less than ideal on the regular…
don’t you think it's time to use that lever?
Fun Fact: You take around 25,000 breaths a day which means you have plenty of opportunities to pull the lever at no extra effort.
Uncertainty + reactivity = Madness
The fast pace culture of the 21st-century nurtures impulsivity in human behavior. There is little to no time to stop and process events. It's almost as if you are to experience them without proper healing or formulating a response that fits your emotional capabilities or mental resilience.
But you can choose the latter. Instead of ignoring the problems, patching them like a production line, you can breathe and look inward for the most effective way to manage them. Take the time to process the happenings, decode the emotions, and calibrate your response as you see fit. You don't have to surrender your sanity.
You have a built-in system to restore peace in your body, mind & soul. But you have to tap into it daily. You have to exercise that muscle consistently for it to work whenever you need it.
It's not always easy to find the stamina to create space in your head to think of rational solutions. It's not always pleasant to create space in your mind to process the emotions and calibrate an adequate response. But it is as simple as breathing.
Quick Survey:
Shifts to support Mental & Emotional Wellbeing through Breathing
If you choose to make breathing a weapon of stress destruction -bare with me - here a couple of shifts to get you set up for success.
If these shifts are not a fit for your style, it's fair. Your unique circumstances and preferences are relevant to create successful shifts in your lifestyle. Feel free to reach out for a breakthrough session here. It is reasonable to need a little accountability & guidance when it comes to such a key change as your breathing technique.
From my journey to yours
Breathe Accordingly.
I used to bottle up emotions and feelings left and right. I had so many things to do that there was just no time to handle undesirables. But unfortunately, unprocessed events or unacknowledged emotions create havoc on our wellbeing. Some eastern energy healing systems believe that thyroid conditions have roots in suppressing anger or lack of creativity. Imagine my reaction to that one.
The truth is that my motto was to wait until it's broken to fix it. But that is not a feasible approach in the culture we live in today. We need to pay attention to the cracks and shakes before it becomes a big pothole, and it's harder to deal with within our fast-paced culture.
The turning point for me occurred the minute I started breathing with intention. I now proactively managed my emotions on a daily schedule. I noticed the answer was not always to run and hide when the going got tough. It was to handle the load in a way that was fair for my emotional currency.
Whenever overwhelming emotions like anxiety, fear, or sadness surface, I weaken the momentum before it overpowers me. I breathe accordingly. And so can you.
Until Next One!
Stay happy, stay healthy, Stay BALANCED,
