The power of breath

Have you ever watched a child or a pet sleep? Their breaths are rhythmic and even, moving from the tummy. Pure relaxation. This is how we breathe naturally- yet often we lose touch with our natural breath and breathe through our chests instead. This type of breathing can actually increase our stress and activate our fight or flight response!

I'm a singer and one of the things that every chorus teacher has drilled into me is to breathe deeply- through our stomachs to better support our sound. At the time I learned it- I didn't know it was also building a little buffer from my fight or flight response. Just like breathing artificially and too quickly can induce feelings of panic, stress, or fear, belly breathing can help us feel relaxed and at peace.

With all this talk of breathing I'm sure you've become hyper-aware of how you are breathing. Take a moment and place one hand on your chest on your sternum, and one on your belly- which moves more? If it's the hand on your chest, try a few of the exercises below to find a more supported and relaxed breathing practice.

1. Sit in a chair, lean forward, and place your elbows on your knees. This forces you to breathe from your belly and can help you identify the sensation. Breathe like this a few moments before sitting upright.
2. Purse your lips and imagine you are blowing up a balloon. Fill yourself with air and then slowly release it through your lips feeling your stomach muscles contract. Release this slowly.
3. Still finding the feeling? Try lying down on the floor with one hand on your chest, and one hand on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose feeling your belly expand, breathe out through pursed lips feeling your belly fall inward toward your spine.

If these don't come easily at first- it's OK! You've probably been doing this a long time and it might take a little bit of time to unlearn. There are great tutorials for belly or diaphragmatic breathing on youtube that might resonate with you more.

Even now that you've experienced the sensation- it's going to take practice. Find moments during the day to notice your breath and give these techniques a try.