Breath: A Tool of Transformation
Did you know that on average we each take something like more than 20,000 breaths per day and 7.5million each year?
And, how many of them are you aware of?
Breath is one of those amazing things. Our bodies, for most of us, do it automatically. We don’t have to think about it and take it for granted.
And yet, breath is a powerful tool for transformation when we decide to use it to our advantage and bring presence, awareness, and intention to it.
Our bodies are all too often operating in a heightened state of alertness and fight or flight mode, even when it’s not necessary. The sympathetic nervous system ends up in overdrive and the body is constantly producing adrenal and stress hormones. In short, the body and nervous system never relax, rest, or repair.
Yet, when you intentionally slow your breath you allow the parasympathetic nervous system to come online and switch from alert and survival to calm and relaxed. This in turn opens you up to new ideas, new possibilities, and new thoughts and beliefs. It’s the possibility of clarity, creativity, and choice.
One of the best things about utilizing breath as a tool of transformation is that it can be done anytime and anywhere. You can do it in the moment when you sense stress or anxiety creeping in and you can carve out a specific time in your day to practice.
The Linger Movement and my preaching of Pause began with the simple mantra that I still use and share today
Pause. Breathe. Savor.
These three words are a mindfulness practice in and of themselves. And, they can be expanded to so much more.
They’re an invitation to slow down and bring awareness to your breath, to savor it and the world around you. This creates the opportunity to soothe yourself and rewire your brain.
So with the power of breath in mind, here are three specific breathing practices that you can try and see how they work for you.
Remember, all of this is a practice and it begins with Pause. It takes repetition, grace, and a willingness to see what feels best for you. Simply knowing you have tools available at any time is empowering.
1: Slow Breathing
Bringing awareness to your breath and intentionally slowing it down can slow your heart rate and invite calm to your nervous system. Anything less than 10 breaths per minute is considered slow breathing and slowing to 6 per minute has shown even more benefits.
For example:
Inhale for a count of 4 or 5 and exhale for 6 or 7. Repeat for 2-5 minutes, or longer.
2: Box Breathing
This is a common technique to slow breath, heart rate, and arousal response. Visualize the four sides of a box and you travel around the box in equal intervals with inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding.
For example:
Inhale for 4. Hold for 4. Exhale for 4. Hold for 4. Repeat.
3: Physiological Sigh
The power of this technique is in the extended exhale and decreased respiration rate, similar to slow breathing. This is a double inhale followed by a long exhale through the mouth.
For example:
Inhale fully through the nose. Inhale again another bit of air. Exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat.
Whatever form of breathing technique you find works the best for you just remember that when you choose to focus on your breath it’s a powerful tool of transformation. You can use it to settle your nerves, calm your anxiety, decrease stress response, and create the conditions for creativity, calm, and relaxation.
Seriously so powerful! And it’s always there for you.
If you’re looking for additional support drop me a note or a DM on Instagram and let’s connect!
You can also download the free Create Your Linger List Guide for all the steps and details needed to create a Linger List and how to use it as another simple mindfulness practice and tool.
Find Your Pause.