Ciao -
So, yeah. We’ve all been breathing since birth.
But over years of time, with stress, fatigue, tightness, and lack of awareness, we can lose the intention behind the breaths, breathing at the bare minimum.
Breathing is an involuntary movement, like swallowing and blinking, meaning that it takes zero thought or intention to do, as the body and the brain are programed instinctually to continue no matter what. Even in the most distracted moments or deepest of sleep, we breathe, swallow, and blink.
In the same way that we lose our sense of intuitive eating like a child does, we also have a strong tendency to lose our sense of intuitive and intentional breathing - breathing deeply to fill your lungs, to expand your chest, to fill the blood with oxygen, to regulate the nervous system, to encourage the lymphatic system. Instead, we breathe very surface level, very shallowly, non intentionally.
Breathing with intention is such a powerful and underrated tool for so many things; increasing oxygen throughout the body and the brain increasing energy and thinking power, lowering cortisol, lowering heart rate, increasing immunity, better sleep, promoting grounding. One of the most powerful aspects of deep and intentional breathing is the stimulation of the vagus nerve in the throat that encourages activation of the parasympathetic system, also called the ‘rest and digest’ system, which regulates digestion, energy conservation, and organ processes.
Deep and intentional breathing is so powerful and grounding; amazingly beneficial for every kind of situation and emotion. A wonderful breathing technique, called box breathing, is a trick you can have in your back pocket next time you feel overwhelmed. Box breathing technique looks like this: 4 second count of a deep inhale, 4 second hold of that deep breath, and a 4 second slow and full exhale, repeating 3-5 times or as many times as needed. What you should feel afterwards is almost an unexplainable kind of calm and awareness.
Every emotion is stored in the body, with the lungs specifically holding the weight of stress, hence the telltale sign of anxiety and stress being shallow breathing or lapses in breathing. How powerful is it to be able to use an involuntary body moment as a tool to cope and combat with it all?
Breathing is quite literally a task you must do to survive. No duh, right. The body is so intelligent - the processes it carries out day and night are always to protect, heal, and nourish the body, and we can always use that to our advantage. Our bodies naturally must breathe for oxygen, and we can capitalize on that breathing by being intentional and benefitting the body so much more. Our bodies require sleep, our bodies require movement, our bodies require good nourishment. We can capitalize on all of that - because we have to do it anyway. So why not do it in a way that promotes the best kind of healing, growth, and thriving?
I encourage you to take deep, intentional breaths whenever you think of it, and whenever you are feeling overwhelmed. The breath is a hugely powerful tool, right at your fingertips. (Or lungs, actually).
Food for thought,
Lai