The Power of Breath – Part 2
It has been suggested that six deep breaths per minute will increase heart rate variability (HRV), and has the potential to improve perception, cognition and self-regulation through heart-mind coherence. Through observing how we breathe and taking the time to actively change how we breathe, we can move from a reactive place, living in flight or fight to a responsive place where we actively take ownership of our life, and what happens in our life. Practicing the six breaths a minute will reset your mind and body to a more centred, relaxed, and peaceful state, which your nervous system will thank you for. You won’t be able to breathe like this all the time, but when life unsettles you, when you feel you are no longer grounded, peaceful or able to cope with a situation, the six breaths a minute will help to re-align you.
As a baby growing in the womb we relied solely on our mother to keep us safe and relaxed, once we entered the world, the first thing we had to do, not chose to do, but had to do on our own was breathe. We breathed before we even opened our eyes, so this reflects just how important the breath is for survival, but as we grow up, we need to reconnect with the importance of our breath as a balancer of the mind and the heart, which takes us back to having a coherent mind and heart, working together to permit us to make the best of every day of our lives.
Many people would have practiced breathing exercises or asanas when practicing yoga or other mind-body practices, these exercises were to bring your body, your mind-heart connection into a place of peace, a place of coherent vergence; so this is far from new information, it is just presented differently. I feel it is safe to say that our breath, and the way we breathe, is the turning of the key which opens the door to consciousness. When we just breathe automatically, it is our body breathing us, so as our state of mind or heart changes, our breathing changes, when we breathe consciously, it is our sacred act, our intention to bring mind and heart together in order to manage our thoughts, our feelings, our life. We may not be able to control all that happens around us or even to us, but through the sacred power of breath, we can control our response to it. Mindful or sacred breathing is a gift, but it requires us to use that gift to our benefit, when we are one with our entire being, we then become a gift to the world.
When we become conscious of how we breathe, we take control of our thoughts and feelings, through the observation of our mind and emotions, we choose how we feel and think. Choosing how we feel and think leads to freedom from oppressive thoughts and feelings.
The six breaths a minute is very effective, even if you are already calm and centred. I suggest that you try it.
The Six Breaths A Minute Gift to Yourself:
- Get yourself into a comfortable position with a clock or watch in front of you.
- Close your eyes for now, if you are comfortable doing so.
- When you are settled and ready to start, take note of the time (I use the seconds hand).
- Breathe in slow and deep (some count to six, I would suggest you don’t count on the first couple of attempts until you are used to what you are doing). But DO count how many cycles you have completed in a minute, it may be six, it may be eight, it will change with practice.
- Pause for a couple of seconds.
- Breathe out slowly at approximately the same rate as your breathed in.
- Pause again for a couple of seconds, and that completes one cycle.
When you first try this you may find that it is difficult to do and that you naturally want to breathe out fast in order to get another breath in, if so, breathe in a little faster or deeper. The aim is to complete six full cycles in a minute. Don’t be discouraged if you cannot do this straight away, you have been breathing your own way for years, just take note of how you are comfortably breathing in the minute and practice the six breaths cycle a few times a week.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have any respiratory issues, whether that is asthma, COPD, pneumonia, or even a chest infection, please consult your medical practitioner as to whether deep, controlled breathing exercises could compound your symptoms or help to alleviate them.
The Six Breaths A Minute Gift to Your Nervous System:
Although the previous exercise is definitely advantageous to your nervous system, there are times when a slightly different approach will be more beneficial. During those times when you may be experiencing, anxiety, depression, fear, anger, grief, or any other overbearing emotions, and even when your thoughts are overbearing, it can be more beneficial to practice the following routine. The green text is the only change to the above routine.
- Get yourself into a comfortable position with a clock or watch in front of you.
- Close your eyes for now, if you are comfortable doing so.
- When you are settled and ready to start, take note of the time (I use the seconds hand).
- Breathe in slow and deep (some count to six, I would suggest you don’t count on the first couple of attempts until you are used to what you are doing). But DO count how many cycles you have completed in a minute, it may be six, it may be eight, it will change with practice.
- Pause for a couple of seconds.
- Breathe out reasonably forcefully but steady, through your mouth (as if you are blowing up a balloon).
- Pause again for a couple of seconds, and that completes one cycle.
You may want to practice this for a minute but even just three cycles can make a huge difference to how you feel, try it for yourself. This is something you can do anywhere in times of stress and/or distress. It doesn’t matter if you are sitting on the toilet, on a park bench or waiting at the bus stop. What matters is that when this is needed, you respect your mind and body enough to take out just a couple of minutes to look after yourself; and if you are worried what other people may think, don’t, your choice for self-care may be the permission they were looking for.
We are The Quantum Warrior, The Master Architect of our life – Braveheart
