Immediate Life Tool – How & Why

Amidst the many uncertainties in life I often remind myself to come back to the basics.

And it does not get much more basic than breathing, or so it seems.

Breath is vital to our life-process, and often overlooked – essential nourishment, hidden in plain sight, and presumed to always be there for us. Holding your breath out for 30 seconds will quickly reveal our vital link to breath in astonishing ways.

Yoga teachers often lean heavily on breath-cues, reminding us to “take a big ol’ hit of air” as one teacher professed. 

Rarely do I hear reference to why we should be conscious of our breath; and I summarize some of those reasons below:

• The breath is the intermediary force between your body & mind.
• Breath regulation gives us direct access to autonomic (unconscious) aspects of the nervous system.
• The breath provides a mirror reflection of our thoughts.
• If you’re anxious you will breathe accordingly, same is true for all other emotions.
• It is possible to reverse engineer the breath to tranquilize the mind.
• A calm, smooth breath indicates mental stillness = effortless meditation.
  

Simple ways that we can improve breathing:

• Breath through your nose whenever possible.
• Use sleep tape – video here. 
• Practice asana as a means of breath regulation. Breathe first, posture second.
• Deep abdominal breathing is one of the most effective methods for anxiety regulation.
• Regular practice of pranayama with trusted guidance