Breathwork, A Simple Yet Powerful Tool For Positive Change
Do you want to reduce feelings of stress?
Would you like tools to help manage anxiety?
How would it feel to build a better relationship with yourself?
Would you like to sleep more soundly?
Do you struggle with focus and concentration?
Do you want to perform better in your fitness pursuits?
Did you know that breathwork can help you create positive change in all of these areas?
Discovering Breathwork
Breathwork is a simple yet effective tool that involves practicing specific breathing techniques to enhance your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Practicing breathwork provides a pathway to access and influence your autonomic nervous system (ANS) which allows you to intercept some of the automatic responses and take charge of how you are feeling. Think of breathwork as a tool that you can use to purposefully choose which state your nervous system is in rather than continually being at the mercy of your automatic responses. Let's take a closer look at the ANS to understand it's role.
What is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)?
The ANS is a vital component of the nervous system responsible for controlling involuntary body functions such as heart rate, digestion, and breathing. It operates automatically, without conscious effort, and is divided into two main branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
The sympathetic branch, often referred to as the 'action-taking' system, prepares the body for various forms of action, including exercising, meeting deadlines, and triggering 'fight or flight' responses during stressful situations.
In contrast, the parasympathetic branch promotes 'rest and digest' activities as well as social engagement. This branch serves as a crucial tool in managing stress by facilitating relaxation and fostering social interactions. Social engagement during relaxed states helps regulate emotions and provides support, forming our first line of defense against stress.
Together, these systems maintain the body's internal balance, ensuring that vital processes run smoothly and efficiently. Understanding the ANS is key to comprehending how our bodies respond and adapt to different internal conditions and external environments.
How Can Breathwork Help You?
Think of yourself as having a relationship between two parts of yourself: the conscious, logical, decision-making self, and the unconscious, feeling, sensing, emotional self. Your best 'self' is the one that has an optimal relationship between these two parts.
You might wonder what I am talking about, so I will create an example. Imagine you want to apply for a new job, but you don't have all the necessary experience and some of your qualifications are lacking. Your unconscious self sends you signals of uncertainty and fear. This may manifest as butterflies in your stomach, feelings of fear, anxiety, procrastination, or negative self-talk. Your unconscious self wants to protect you from what it perceives as a potential threat to your overall health and wellbeing.
However, you know logically that you want to apply for the role, but your unconscious processes are making it difficult or maybe even impossible. How well you can interact with your unconscious processes will determine whether you go for it and apply for the role or look for a role that you 'feel' is more suited to your qualifications and experience.
Bridging The Gap With Breathwork
Breathwork serves as a bridge between your conscious and unconscious selves. Through specific breathing techniques, you cultivate the ability to listen to and connect with your unconscious processes. This practice calms your nervous system, reduces stress, and enhances emotional regulation. These benefits empower you to effectively interpret and respond to the signals from your unconscious, enabling actions that align with your conscious goals. Whether you seek to alleviate anxiety, improve focus, or optimise performance, breathwork offers a practical path to achieving mental balance and well-being.
From Surviving To Thriving
It's important to understand how the ANS is designed for our ultimate survival, but survival alone is not enough. We aspire to thrive, feel good, and connect with those around us. Breathwork has the power to shift us from a state of mere survival to one of thriving and feeling our best. By consciously and purposefully attending to our breathing and connecting with our unconscious processes, we can better understand our needs and achieve a balanced state of mind. This approach allows us to manage stress, improve focus, and enhance performance in alignment with our conscious goals.
Want to learn more about breathwork? Why not add yourself to my upcoming event on Sunday the 3rd of November 2024. Send me a message to learn more.
