Breathe – Just Breathe…But How?

IEmine’ Rushton, in Ayurveda for Modern Life, captures the essence of my all-too-stressful life:

“…I am often pulled in so many different directions I literally lose my balance. Clumsiness for me is always because of having too little time and not enough care.

It’s a sign to stop…whatever you are doing.  Just stop.  Breathe in.  Breath out.  In again.  Then - pick up where you left off.  Calmer.  More carefully.”

When I am stressed, I don’t necessarily exhibit clumsiness like Emine’ but I certainly lose life balance and I lose the ability to perform optimally.   The “deep breathing” trick works miracles.  Heck, my SmartWatch agrees too – I periodically get prompts to stop and take 5 deep breaths.

The question is – Is there a right or wrong way to breathe?

Allied-Services.org, in their June 2020 article, The vagus nerve: your secret weapon in fighting stress addresses stress and breathing this way:

Stress can affect your physical and mental health, so finding ways to manage should be a priority. There are techniques we can use to help manage stress, boost healing, decrease pain, and regulate our nervous system for a decreased stress response…

During periods of chronic high stress, the body stays in high gear, with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol coursing through the body. This creates wear and tear on the body and mind, and over time can create a multitude of health problems such as chronic pain, anxiety, mood swings, gut inflammation and so many more…

…One of the main ways that you can stimulate the healthy function of the vagus nerve is through deep, slow belly breathing...    Breathe more deeply, from the belly.  Think about expanding your abdomen and widening your rib cage as you inhale…  (BOLD on belly breathing is mine!)

Jordan Fallis adds to the topic, “When you do this, your stomach should expand outward.”

So the question for you – Are you a Chest Breather or Belly Breather?

In Activate your Vagus Nerve, Dr. Navaz Habib recommends a simple test.  Breathe with one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly, and note which hand raises when you breathe.  Or, do your shoulders raise when you inhale? Try it – what is your result?  I hate to admit it – I am a chest breather and I’m breathing WRONG!

Dr. Habib suggests looking at a baby breathe – noticing that “his” belly raises with each breath – and adds that we lose the ability to belly breathe as we age, with the introduction of stress, poor posture, obesity, etc.  Ouch – this is hitting a little too close to home for me. 

I would add one more factor for me – vanity (aka, pride, narcissism).    The desire for the macho body – broad shoulders and narrow taut abs.  For me – hard to belly breathe if I’m “sucking it in” all the time.

Going forward, as I strive for life balance and living my best life, I commit to becoming a Belly Breather.