Breathing 101
WRITTEN BY AARON THENO
Breathing. It’s one of the most fundamental pieces of our existence, both voluntary and involuntary. It’s something about which we have control, but only partially, and even then, only for short periods of time. Breathing is simple enough to be done without having to think at all, and yet complex enough to require the use of several different parts of the body in highly coordinated ways.
The act of breathing is also highly-attuned to our emotional state. If you’re sitting in a sauna or a steam room, you are likely relaxed and your breathing will be deeper and slower without you having to think about correcting it or slowing it down. Alternatively, if something frightens you, you are likely to hold your breath or take quicker, more shallow breaths. Again, these modes of breathing are also without any conscious thought involved. Emotions affect breathing and not in small ways.
There’s been renewed focus lately on the power of breathing to help people relax and feel more grounded, in personal self-care regimens, and even incorporate office settings, where it can be especially difficult to feel connected to one’s own body. Active, attentive breathing is an effective and immediate way to reduce anxiety, improve clarity and focus, as well as having the power to create a little mini-reset of one’s emotional state.
How Controlled Breathing Transforms
What do we do with the control we do have over our breathing? How can controlling our breath help us? Holding our breath seems obvious enough so we can do things like swim underwater or avoid smelling something foul, but what about our control over more active breathing? How can we use that to our benefit? Is there a right and a wrong way to do it? The answers to these questions are mixed. While there is no right or wrong way to breathe, I do think there are some things worth considering.
When we discuss breathing as part of self-care, we are generally talking about “deep breathing” or breathing that is a more full-body experience than that which comes involuntarily. There are numerous techniques and whatever works best for you is the way to go, but I’m going to offer my professional perspective on breathing and give a few ideas.
Full disclosure, I have a background as a singer of classical music and I can assure you I have spent a LOT of time thinking and studying about how one takes a breath and about which muscles help us breathe more efficiently and effectively and which ones can trip us up. The first thing a lot of people say when asking someone to take a deep breath is “use your diaphragm!” While that direction is correct, I doubt many people really know how the diaphragm works, much less how to use it. At best, most have a general idea that it is in their abdomen somewhere. I’m here to say forget your diaphragm for now. Thinking about it is more likely to trip you up than help you.
Breathing and the Power of the Nose
Deep breathing is best when done by inhaling through your nose. Additionally, a good, deep breath should feel like you’re filling air all the way down into your hips. Be conscious of any tension you’re holding all the way down to your pelvic floor muscles and try to release that tension. When that’s done, begin by feeling like you’re drawing air into your lower back. You can place a hand on your lower back to see how it expands as you breathe in.
In a world where a “100% breath” is taking in all the air one possibly can, focus on your lower back for the first 30-40% of the breath you are drawing in. At that point you should feel your rib cage start to expand. The muscles in between your ribs are your “intercostal” muscles. Feel them really opening up as you go towards 70-80% of your breath. If you go towards your maximum “100% breath” you’ll find the upper portion of your rib cage will finish its expansion and your shoulders will rise slightly. One to two 100% breaths can be a great place to start a deep breathing session as a way to warm up your body and shake out the tension, but if you take nothing but 100% breaths you may find yourself more tense after a 3-5 minute session, which is not what we’re going for. Shoot for the 80% range for sustained deep breathing practice. You should never feel like your body is clenching during a deep breathing session, and taking in too much air is a common mistake.
One final tip is to pay attention to your jaw, your tongue and your eyes. They can all be sneaky holders of tension so try to relax them as you breathe.
How to Optimize Your Breathing
Now that we know the mechanics of good deep breathing, let’s talk about a few techniques you can employ:
4 and 6: A really basic and effective one is the “4 and 6 technique.” In this technique you inhale for 4 seconds, and exhale for 6 seconds. This technique is great for a few reasons. First, it’s great because of the slower and sustained exhalation. Kind of like lifting a dumbbell, you don’t want it to drop after lifting it, but to control it on the way down for the best effect. Beneficial breathing works the same way with the 4 and 6...control it on the exhale. Second, it will feel like you’re giving your mind a massage. The anxiety energy really floats away during that long exhalation, like a river just carries it downstream. Let that anxiety go!
Save this guide as a cheat-sheet for these techniques.
Mantra: Another technique often used in mindfulness meditation is the use of a mantra. Ideally your mantra should be one word or syllable that you hold in your mind as you inhale, and one that you hold in your mind as you exhale. The mantra should be something that holds power as it is repeated over and over to bring you comfort and clarity. An example of a famous mantra is “Sohum” (or “Soham”) which is Sanskrit, meaning literally “I am that.” “So” is your inhale syllable and “hum” is your exhale syllable. If that works for you that’s wonderful, but a mantra can be anything that helps you feel grounded and refreshed. Feel free to make your own depending on what your goals of the day are, just be advised to keep them simple and focused.
Space: Lastly, we’ll talk about logistics. Ideally, we would all be in a relaxing space to do our breathing practice, but that is rarely practical. In fact, when we need it the most, we are likely to be in a chaotic and stressful environment. However, it’s likely even better to practice in those chaotic environments! You get a double benefit of relieving your immediate anxiety as well as hopefully reprogramming your brain to be more relaxed when those chaotic environments spring up.
Time: As for the length of your deep breathing session, give yourself a minimum of 1 minute. I think 3-5 minutes is a powerful amount of time, recognizing that we all lead busy lives and it may be difficult for some, but try to give yourself that much time to step away. If you are so inclined, I highly recommend challenging yourself to see how long you can do deep breathing before feeling restless or sleepy. It’s a unique challenge with powerful benefits.
I sincerely hope considering the power of breath and breathing is helpful for people looking to take better care of themselves. There is real power to breathing with intention for both mental acuity and physiological enhancement. I am, of course, a big proponent of adding aromatherapy inhalation to any deep breathing session to enhance the experience, though breathing with intention is powerful on its own.
Give careful, thoughtful breathing a try the next time you’re feeling stressed and see for yourself what a difference it can make.
for meditation + mindfulness
Aaron Theno is Breatherapy’s Chief Aromatherapist, a certified CCAP (Certified Clinical Aromatherapy Practitioner) and lover of nature who has worked in the world of Aromatherapy for several years. As the creator for Breatherapy’s blends, he is a strong believer in the science behind essential oils, and the need for education to further the reach of the benefits they can offer.
Aaron also has a career as a singer of classical music and opera, and continues to perform alongside the development of Breatherapy and their parent company. He is a fitness enthusiast, mediocre tango dancer and baker of pies
