Breath and Life
By Robert Gerzon
Breath is life. As the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote, "He lives most life who breathes most air." Whenever we feel we "haven't had time to breathe," it is a sign that anxiety has taken control of our lives and we are no longer acting in our own best interest.
External stress and pressure as well as internal emotional conflict trigger anxiety, and our body reacts by tightening the chest and stomach muscles. We hold our breath in an attempt to stay in control. This further restricts respiration and produces shallow, rapid breathing. Shallow breathing numbs our feelings and traps the anxiety inside, which in turn triggers more physiological arousal, sending us up the anxiety escalator and then later down into depression.
Breathing naturally and fully allows us to feel our feelings and release the anxiety. One of the best ways to handle any episode of emotional stress is simply to feel the feelings and keep breathing.
The entire autonomous nervous system (and through it, our internal organs and glands) takes its cue from our breathing patterns. By changing our breathing we can influence hundreds of biochemical reactions in our body, producing more relaxing substances such as endorphins and fewer anxiety-producing ones like adrenaline. Mindfulness of the breath is so effective that it is common to all meditative and prayer traditions. Our word "spirit" comes from the Latin word for breath.
Modern life has resulted in vast numbers of people who are afflicted by the respiratory equivalent of anorexia. Most people today simply do not breathe in sufficient oxygen for their body's optimal functioning.
In the holistic counseling and coaching work I do with my clients I have found breathwork to be one of the most powerful tools for changing deep-seated mental and emotional patterns. Since the breath goes to every cell in the body, even stress and trauma patterns that have become embedded in the tissues themselves can be released. Long-standing health problems can often be alleviated.
Time spent becoming aware of our breathing habits is well worth it. We breathe at least 20,000 times a day so even a small change toward more relaxed, full and abundant breathing brings great rewards. That small change when multiplied by the 20,000 breaths we take a day becomes a big change in our energy level and our sense of well-being.
Treat yourself to some relaxing breaths right now. Let the air flow deeply into your belly and then let it fill you all the way up to your shoulders. Then relax and release the air slowly and completely. Repeat as needed!
Find out more about Robert Gerzon’s highly acclaimed book Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety.
Find out more about Robert Gerzon’s Counseling and Coaching Services.
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