The Power of the Breath

In the latest SANA blog post, Yale Child Study Center Social Worker Karyn Bailey, LCSW, offers advice on the value of deep breathing. This is a step-by-step guide to learning a simple but very effective technique to help alleviate stress, for adults and children alike.

It seems like these days, more than ever, we are looking for ways to reduce stress and “deep breathing” is offered as a common solution. But does deep breathing really work to reduce stress, and if so, how? And, what exactly is “deep breathing”? These are the questions that I had in mind as I consulted several resources to understand more about the power of the breath to help reduce stress. I found the following to be especially helpful: Psychology Today, American Institute of Stress, Science of Us, Daniela Ramirez, Donna Farhi, Kenneth Cohen, and Roger Jahnke whose writings I invite you to explore as you see fit. In the meantime, I’ll summarize what I learned and offer this information to you as an option to consider for stress management.

Let’s begin with a brief overview of how we typically respond to stressful situations and assume that stress is anything that we encounter that represents some sort of threat that is out of the ordinary and/or out of our control. In such a moment, our vagus nerve, which runs from the base of our brain and branches out to our organs, serves as a conduit of chemicals/hormones that are activated automatically/reflexively by our sympathetic nervous system and result in the stress response that is often described as the fight or flight response. This is an involuntary and adaptive process that increases our respiration and blood flow to prepare our bodies for quick and protective action, such as fighting or fleeing. Once the perceived threat has passed or been managed successfully, the stress response also passes and our respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate return to their normal steady state.

However, highly stressful situations and/or low-level stressful situations that occur chronically may upset the balance of this process and contribute to increased blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension along with psychological reactions such as anxiety and irritability all of which can impair our health and well-being. The good news is that our vagus nerve can be stimulated intentionally to reset this balance and help restore, mitigate, and even prevent these physical and psychological reactions and one way to do this is through deep breathing. Through the action of our diaphragm, slow, even breaths that originate deep within the abdomen stimulate the vagus nerve in a way that signals safety and cues our bodies and minds to relax, restore, and release chronic and unhealthy patterns. Sounds like something worth trying; however, before engaging in deep breathing practice, be sure to honor any respiratory condition that contraindicates such a practice (i.e., severe asthma).

To support deep breathing, it is wise to wear comfortable clothing and position the body in a way that leaves the respiratory system open and free to flow. Standing, sitting with the torso upright, or lying down on your back are all good positions – choose whatever is comfortable and/or accessible in a given moment. Start with an inhalation preferably through the nose, but through the mouth is fine if that is more comfortable, and draw the breath deep into your belly allowing your abdomen to expand followed by the natural inflation of your lungs and chest. Focus on keeping the breath slow and even and using the belly to gently and slowly draw air in and then gently and slowly compress air out either through the nose or mouth and repeat this cycle about 5-10 times as often as you wish. The key is to go gently and slowly rather than forcing or pushing and always stop if you feel dizzy or faint.

Some people find it helpful to count their inhale and then double the count for their exhale as an aide to smoothen and lengthen their breath. This is certainly not necessary, but worth experimenting with to discover whether or not it is helpful for you. Kids are certainly not immune to stress and may benefit from a deep breathing practice too. For younger children, it is sometimes recommended that they learn to breathe from their belly initially by lying down on the floor and placing a favorite stuffed animal on their abdomen, which they can watch rise and fall with each breath. Deep breathing – it’s free, easy to do, can be done in almost any place or time, and has the potential to reduce stress and contribute to your overall well-being. I encourage you to give it a try and bid you peace in these stressful times.