Wellness

By Valarie Angle

Executive Summary:

Don’t give the way you breathe much thought? Maybe you should.

Valarie Angle is the owner & director of The WellNest Roanoke, and is a holistic Life Coach. Contact her atConnect@The WellNestRoanoke.com

How does breath impact success?

Do you ever catch yourself sitting at your computer and realize that you are holding your breath? Or walked around the office feeling tight and anxious until you took in a deep breath, exhaled, and suddenly felt lighter?

Focusing on the timing and pace of breath has a positive effect on our bodies and our minds. Brain regions associated with emotion, attention, and body awareness are activated when we pay attention to our breath, according to the Journal of Neurophysiology. Consciously inhaling and exhaling according to a set rhythm can focus attention and regulate the nervous system. Slowing our breath reduces a sense of fear and anxiety, providing a convenient and simple exercise to explore while mitigating stress at work or home.

Not only is timing and pace of breath important, but the type of breath matters, too. Breathing through your mouth and chest is associated with the body’s emergency response activation—fight or flight. It activates the sympathetic nervous system, diverting blood and resources away from the brain and digestive system and toward the musculoskeletal system. Resting respiratory mode involves breathing through the nose into the diaphragm, allowing the body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system in order to relax. Nasal breathing allows you to think more critically and creatively.

A more intentional practice, alternate nostril breathing, has therapeutic effects including lowering stress, heart rate, and blood pressure; improving cardiovascular function and respiratory endurance; and even improving physiological endurance. Simply press your finger against one nostril while breathing slowly and deeply in through the other, then switch sides to exhale and repeat, alternating which side you use to inhale each time.

Some experts, such as Wim Hof (a Dutch “extreme athlete” known for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures), challenge us further to expand our repertoire of the pacing and rhythms of breathwork well beyond our typical level of comfort for superior benefits. Practitioners of Wim Hof and other specialized breathwork methods express incredible testimonials of both physical and mental accomplishment.

Think about timing, pace, and type of breath as you go about your day, at home or at the office, and begin to notice how slowing the breath, breathing more deeply into the diaphragm, and engaging in nasal breathing influences your mood, emotion, and productivity. This is a simple practice that you can engage anytime, anywhere, with no equipment to boost your performance, mood, and confidence.