How Conscious Breathing Helps to Regulate Stress

The average person breathes 16 times per minute, which works out at around 23,000 breaths per day.  For reasons of basic survival the act of breathing is instinctive and unconscious.  You don’t need to remind yourself to keep breathing throughout your day (which is handy!), just as you don’t need to remind your heart to beat.  In a similar vein, we are equally hardwired to respond to stressors in our environment.  Our nervous system is continually sensing and responding.

How, then, does consciously directing our breathing help us to regulate stress?  If our breathing is so intuitive, and our nervous systems designed to deal with stress, isn’t the intelligence of the human body also hard-wired to seamlessly shift gears and keep us in balance?

Centuries before neuroscience caught up, the yogis were ahead of the game.  Written around the 15th century, the text Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā highlights the importance of prānāyāma (directing the breath) for self-regulation.  These and other yogic practices were understood to generate “‘sāttvika-samādhi’...to be stable in a clear, pleasant, and calm life experience.” 1  Yoga philosophy teaches us that the mind can be a powerfully supportive resource to our wellbeing and evolution.  Alternatively, if allowed to roam like a wild elephant, the mind becomes the root cause of our suffering and inner turmoil.

Through individual perception the mind and thoughts generate responses that transmit through the body.  These responses also show up in changes to our breathing that we don’t always detect.  Being so instinctive, breathing patterns can remain below the level of our conscious awareness.  The act of breathing is automatic, yet we also have the capacity to notice, sense and then redirect how we breathe.  In doing so we change breathing into a conscious experience.  This seemingly simple shift can, over time, radically rewire our brain and nervous system, enhancing our capacity to return to equilibrium quicker after a stressful event.

In the early hours of one recent morning I was woken by a rowdy cat fight right outside my bedroom window.  I leapt from under the covers, ran out of the back door and saw a dark figure slink off into the rainy dawn.  My old boy Rio was nowhere to be seen, despite frantically calling and searching for him.  I am a self-confessed cat lover.  Last year we lost two family cats very suddenly and unexpectedly.  So I’m still a little sensitive to sudden feline departures.

It was only after 10 minutes of fruitless searching that I came back inside, and noticed…my locked up jaw, racing heart, shoulders like rocks, shallow breath high in my chest, and that I had been mouth breathing.  I also noticed my thoughts were dominated by worry and catastrophe - “he has disappeared, another beloved cat is gone” - and I could now literally feel the anxiety, fear and grief coursing through me.  A potent cocktail!  It didn’t feel pleasant.  

According to world renowned breathing expert Patrick McKeown “if you breathe through your mouth you are more likely to be breathing faster…more likely to breathe using the upper chest.  Upper chest breathing and faster breathing [means] your body is telling the brain that the body is under threat.  That puts you into [...] that increased stress response”. 2

Perception is not reality, it is a conditioned filter through which we experience existence.  Yet it can dominate if we’re not mindful.  I realised that my worrisome thoughts were inadvertently ramping up my stress levels.  A subtle form of self-sabotage!

I sat down and attended to the felt sense of the response in my body, as well as my breathing.  With palms resting on my chest and abdomen, the slow, cooling inhalation of Śītalī prānāyāma through pursed lips helped to calm me. Slowing down and lengthening my out-breath gradually lowered my heart rate.  I could feel my heightened nervous system slowly shift, nourished also by the biofeedback response of nurturing self-touch.

By the time I had finished and opened my eyes, Rio was back on his favourite armchair, grooming himself as though nothing had happened.

Without these tools to notice and re-focus we can end up locking in stress as a default.  Stress starts to become a familiar, semi-permanent fixture and can define who we think we are.  A former client used to say “I’m just a tense, anxious person” indicating that the state of stress had become a hard-wired trait.  This is a process that we can reverse in time and with regular practice.

Kristine Weber of Subtle Yoga writes that “breathing is both affected by, and affects, mood and emotions. When you take conscious control of the breath (e.g. when practicing prānāyāma) the front brain gets in on the action”. 3  We can direct the most active and accessible part of our mind away from rumination and into the body.  We can then meet what is truly present in that moment.  When we do this regularly we learn to simply ‘be with’ and gently regulate the stress response we are experiencing.  Awareness is crucial, as we can’t change anything we are not aware of.

These skills are best developed through a consistent yoga practice that involves a degree of prānāyāma or ‘directing the breath’.  Clinical Psychologist and Yoga Teacher Bo Forbes explains this; “Yoga’s more subtle tools (breathing exercises, focussed awareness…) are powerful… They provide us with the assistance we need to develop our awareness in small, easier-to-assimilate steps”. 4  We regain a sense of agency, learning to replace unhelpful habits little by little.

Regularly noticing then addressing stress through conscious breathing acts like a ‘recall’ back to our true inner nature.  We can easily forget we are this peaceful yet elusive ‘true self’ when submerged by strong emotions and racing thoughts.  Yet it is our birthright.

I invite you now to pause and take a few quiet moments, sitting with your spine comfortably tall.  Your eyes can be open or closed.  Sense and feel the whole body, the contact with the surface beneath.  Notice any sensations that may be present right now.  Notice your inner state and how you are feeling.  Try to unhook from any mind story, allowing things to be just as they are.   In your own time start to notice your breathing.  Sense and feel the movement of breath in and out through the nostrils.  Your breathing may be shallow and high up, as mine was in the story.  Your mind may be busy and distracted.  Try not to be concerned about this, you are doing the best you can in this moment.  Simply allow your breath to move in and out, staying present to the sensations in the nostrils. 

After a few minutes notice how you are feeling, and any shifts in your internal state.

References:

1 Mohan, A. G., Mohan, G. (2017). Hatha Yoga Pradīpīka. US: Svastha Yoga (p.ii)

2 McKeown, P. (2022). Is Your Breathing Holding You Back? The Happy Pear Podcast.

3 Weber, K. (2021). Mansplained by the Breathing Expert. Blog Article. https://subtleyoga.com/mansplained-by-the-breathing-expert/ [accessed 30.01.23] 

4 Forbes, B. (2011). Yoga for Emotional Balance. Colorado, US. Shambhala Publications Inc. (p.62)

Is Our Culture Making Us Sick? - Part 2

I learned about the perils of stockpiling and numbing stress in my youth.  Highly sensitive and emotional as a child and young adult I had little guidance as to how to manage life when often feeling vulnerable and overwhelmed.  I turned to alcohol and smoking, which provided immediate relief and effectively numbed my over-sensitive interior.  This developed into deeper depression and anxiety, feelings of low self-worth and then an eating disorder.  Life on the inside was feeling pretty unstable.  

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I recall going to see a psychologist to talk.  He was likely in his 60s, dressed in a navy blue suit and tie and spent the entire session unsmiling, sitting at his huge wooden desk with me opposite.  I was about 17 at the time. As an inviting, warm therapeutic space it totally failed.  The session felt like an interview or getting called up in front of the school Headmaster - functional, formal and lacking in warmth.  Thankfully therapy has changed since then.  As for me, Prozac was prescribed and I was sent on my way.  The medication gave me some breathing space which was a relief, but didn’t ultimately repair my inner environment or banish my negative and self-sabotaging mind loops.

Several years passed with many fluctuations of mind and emotions, until one day I discovered yoga at my local gym.  By now I was in my 20s, had not long finished a degree at uni, was exercising regularly at the gym for the first time and seemed to be living a normal life.  Yet despite having a few more coping strategies under my belt I still often felt isolated, withdrawn, anxious and depressed.  I had got used to the fact I would probably never feel completely ‘normal’.

Something profound happened to me in those early yoga classes.  I felt a pleasurable connection to my body I hadn’t experienced before.  Till then my body had merely been a vehicle, or an object to berate and control to keep it in line with what society told me women should look like.  The gym sessions reinforced my unworthiness, but somehow yoga did not.  During relaxation I drifted off ‘somewhere’, to beyond the waking ‘thinking’ state and sleep.  Inside I felt at peace for a moment after the class.  It was indescribably beautiful.  This experience sparked in me the deep knowing that this path was one that would heal and reconnect the fragmented parts of myself.  My conscious mind realised this, yet it was my body that had been the resource to experience, sense and feel the shift.

Informed by my own experiences I firmly believe that the journey to recovering from long term stress and mental health trauma of any kind has to involve the body.  In time, the process of compassionate somatic (of the body) enquiry helps us to befriend and know ourselves from deep within.  It can be that simple and the results profound.  We literally create a safe haven within that is always there for us.  The cultivation of embodiment comes through tapping into the felt sense of our breath and body as we move in ways that nourish the nervous system and release tension.  In a nutshell, embodiment means shifting from being on the outside looking at myself, to being on the inside experiencing myself.  It’s a process that doesn’t happen overnight, but which affords a level of knowing, capacity and agency that’s simply not available to us when functioning from a solely cognitive (thinking mind) perspective.

When suffering from the symptoms of depression or anxiety we can feel disempowered, numb, frightened and confused.  I know I did, and still do from time to time when life throws a curved ball my way.  Having a place to turn to, and practices that work has been a game-changer. The state doesn’t last long these days.

Over time and with a regular practice of embodied movement, breath awareness, relaxation and meditation my inner environment has become a place I am no longer afraid to go.  I still feel emotions intensely and at times this is tough, but the difference is the work I have done to befriend and open up to the visceral feeling state, rather than stay locked in my mind and thoughts.  To shed layers of physical tension on a regular basis and feel more alive in my body.  Rather than suppress and resist uncomfortable feelings I am able to drop into them as they arise and pass.  This is vital for energetic, mental/emotional decluttering.  The result of which is less accumulative load on the bodymind.

Back in my younger days I never would have dreamed I could feel this way. So it feels like my calling to share this progressive yogic technology with others.

One of the best ways we can make lasting changes to our brains, nervous systems and mental state, developing greater resilience to life’s challenges, is through intentional conscious embodied movement (such as slow and mindful yoga) and learning how to feel from within (interoception).  One of my teachers Kristine Weber says “use the mind to change the brain to change the mind”.  This means the mind gets you to the mat; you do the practices; the mood-enhancing brain changes occur; then the inner state becomes calmer and clearer.

It’s a radical, rebellious move these days to prioritise your ongoing wellbeing over productivity.  Stillness and introspection over busyness and distraction.  Yet the only way through is in.

If you have been experiencing any of the conditions mentioned and need help I would love to hear from you.  

It just takes one small step.  

Together is better.

Is Our Culture Making Us Sick? - Part 1

Statistics clearly show we are in the midst of a widespread mental health crisis (1).  The impact of the pandemic over the past 3 years has added to the stress load that many kiwis were already carrying, exacerbating existing mental health issues.

A recent article in the NZ Herald cited a Mental Health Foundation survey showing “36% of people surveyed were experiencing poor emotional wellbeing, up from 27% a year ago, an increase that the foundation says is significant and concerning”  The article goes on to state that “…two years of unprecedented stress and disruption…has had an enormous psychological toll on Kiwis - and the burden is growing.”

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According to Dr Gabor Mate - renowned doctor, author and expert in the field of holistic mental health, addiction and trauma - “Major factors for stress are uncertainty, loss of control, lack of information, insecurity & conflict” (2).  This clearly indicates that individual biology and genetics alone do not cause stress and disease, but that our unique and personal relationship to our environment plus the culture we live in greatly impacts our wellbeing.

Let’s take a look at the modern culture with which we co-exist.

Modern society’s advertising bias is designed to subtly condition us to believe we aren’t quite good enough, but if we bought the latest X, Y or Z life would miraculously improve.  Social media fashions imaginary, perfect lives and perfect people, that cause many youngsters to feel shame and unworthiness in comparison.  We are continually bombarded by negative news media and under pressure to be busy and productive (even if detrimental to our core wellbeing).  We are being regularly conditioned to keep consuming (and then potentially form unhealthy attachments to) media, retail, food, alcohol, information, technology and more.

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Consumerism has become the norm, with shopping a commonplace pastime.  We are hooked on addictive devices that can interrupt real time social engagement.  These devices can cultivate an ‘instant gratification’ feedback mindset, keeping our attention hooked into a virtual world that reduces conscious awareness and engagement.  Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that technology has many benefits.  Without tech I would be writing this with a pencil and posting it to your house!  Still, have you caught yourself scrolling mindlessly lately?  I know I have.  When I notice the behaviour and “zoom out” I feel my breath is shallow and my body tense, almost frozen.  A state I wasn’t even aware of as I was scrolling.

Is it any wonder that we lose our true, deeper sense of self and experience greater stress, suffering and disease due to marinating in this pervasive cultural soup that encourages us to disengage?  Our modern societal framework is largely based on the premise that happiness lies just out of reach, and certainly outside of you.  The culture of individualism has put the onus squarely on each of our shoulders to cope and continue, as though external factors are not at play.

In a recent podcast Dr Gabor Mate stated that we are living in a “toxic culture, [that] doesn’t support healthy human growth, but promotes and rewards individualism, isolation…”

So far so bleak right?  Bear with me it’s about to get better…

I believe that many people experiencing mental health challenges have lost their connection to their inner environment.  Their inner experience is dominated by thinking and rumination (consciously or unconsciously) rather than feeling.  This can be a very lonely place.  With so much focus on external experiences, material objects, sensory distractions, and with little societal emphasis on the importance of a healthy relationship with oneself, it is easy for us to get lost and not realise why.

We must appreciate the importance of ‘zooming out’ and finding stillness on a regular basis, rather than continuing to scamper ever faster on the wheel of daily life.

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The term mental health is functional but limited and misleading.  Here’s why.  The symptoms of stress and mood disorders are not exclusively experienced by the mental faculties (3), and the mind is not separate from the body.  Everything we experience as a response to the external environment is registered first in the body, before the mind has identified or labelled it.  Every emotion and every feeling happens in the body, just like every thought impacts our inner physiological ecology in some way.  So given this fact, doesn’t it make sense to involve the body in any therapeutic process designed to restore balance?

When we aren’t used to being connected to our inner experience the body can feel like an unsafe and uncomfortable place to be.  In times of stress we then disengage from feeling our inner reality (what the stress feels like coursing through the body, how the mind is responding to perceived threat).  Yet until we have the courage and support to turn inwards, to face and feel what is there, we will simply stockpile the stress, negative thoughts and painful emotions until they wreak increasing havoc with our nervous system, mind and body.  It is literally like polishing the exterior of your car till gleaming but never servicing what’s under the bonnet, and expecting it to run smoothly for years.

It doesn’t have to be this way…

Tune in for Part 2 - coming soon!

1 - NZ Herald 22nd April 2022, “Great Minds : NZ’s Mental Health ‘Crisis’”
2 - The Rich Roll Podcast - #188 - Dr Gabor Maté On How Trauma Fuels Disease
3 - NCBI - STRESS AND HEALTH: Psychological, Behavioral, and Biological Determinants

Push, pull and pain - the dynamics of motivation

Human behaviour and the motivation that lies beneath has long fascinated me.  Reflecting on the factors that drive us to take different actions - those that serve and particularly those that don’t - can reveal so much about the undercurrent of thoughts, beliefs and perceptions. Self-enquiry through yoga and meditation has the potential to reveal insights that help us to move towards wellbeing, intentionality, happiness and perhaps even a greater sense of purpose.

What motivates you?  If you reflect on something you love doing, like creating amazing food, bush walking, painting, travel or yoga what draws you in that direction?  It’s likely that there is some attachment at play, to a greater or lesser degree.  A lure or pull that speaks to a part of you that is wired for pleasure or goal orientated benefits.  You could see this as a kind of energetic magnet pulling you in a certain direction, based on the benefits you perceive lie at the end of the rainbow, whether short or long term.  On the other hand, what we gravitate towards that is of benefit to us can often be the result of a ‘push’ factor, discomfort of some kind kicking us into action.

At play in many situations are the co-factors of push (that which propels us to take action) and pull (that which calls to us).  In yogic language similar concepts are known as raga (attachment) and dvesha (aversion) and are understood to be key aspects of suffering.  It’s not so much about what we do, but more so the relationship we are having with what we are doing. Whilst it’s true that seeking pleasure and avoiding pain per se isn’t ideal for your neurology or wellbeing over the long term, there are benefits associated with this push-pull dynamic.

As a kid and young adult I avoided most forms of movement unless strictly necessary, so it’s interesting that I ended up in a movement-based occupation as a yoga teacher.  Thank goodness, it has saved me many times and in many ways.  What originally push/pulled me in that direction was an attempt to combat long term anxiety, depression and feelings of low self-worth, curiosity about the practice having experienced yoga and meditation during a trip to Thailand, and the desire to explore new things in general.  Even then the push/pull dynamic was evident.

About a year ago in 2021, after more than 20 years of faithfully practicing all kinds of yoga asana (physical postures) and as I started leaning into my late 40s, I realised that my body needed more variety.  Prior physical benefits were on the slide.  I decided to try Pilates to activate my weakening core muscles and address the associated back pain that had been lingering for some time despite much stretching.  This was my ‘push’ into taking action.  Pilates has addressed all of the above and considerably more, delivering a pretty cool endorphin high, new movement pathways (so new neural pathways) and palpably increasing my overall physical strength.  So now I have a ‘pull’ at play.  That which motivates me to keep going.

Yet in the midst lurks another very important ‘p’ word.  This word is the neurobiological balancing agent that potentially prevents not only the existential suffering but also the addiction to the high.

Pain!

As much as I like and appreciate the effects of the sessions, they are a considerable effort and I still struggle to really enjoy the hard work it takes to get the results.  The pain of effort, the intensity of physical exertion and the ‘will it ever end’ avoidance strategies my mind employs during the exercises are all just part of the endurance required.  Not to mention the battle with the internal dialogue that I am not an ‘exercise’ person! Yet without the pain it would be too easy and pleasant, and therefore addictive attachment without consequences could easily arise. Compare my Pilates experience to, say, eating your favourite ice-cream to get a feel of what I’m saying.

Cognitive reflection, also known as self-enquiry, can reveal the thoughts, beliefs and motivations that lie beneath the actions.  When we understand these factors we can then see if they align with our values, integrity and wellbeing.

Seems like whoever said ‘no pain no gain’ knew a thing or two about neuroscience.