Abdominal breathing: a guide. Our breathing is controlled by the autonomic nervous system & seems to be the most natural thing in the world.

Our breathing – the most natural thing in the world. Really? As our breathing is automatically controlled by our autonomic nervous system, we usually don’t even think about it. Our breathing is with us from birth to death; we don’t have to worry about it, it just happens to us.

This lack of attention to the complex and important process of breathing can lead to us breathing too quickly, too shallowly and too irregularly, especially in stressful situations. We do not take in enough oxygen, although we need it particularly urgently in stressful situations; this in turn causes increased tiredness and lack of concentration.

In terms of evolutionary biology, this type of stress breathing typically occurs in situations where there is danger to our lives. By breathing quickly and shallowly, we tell our bodies that we are in a threatening situation. Conversely, in stressful times, we can relax our bodies by consciously breathing calmly, slowly and deeply and tell the nervous system that we are safe.

Abdominal breathing: a guide. Practise abdominal breathing with the help of the following instructions: sit or lie down in a quiet place. Close your eyes and observe your breathing without judging it. Place your hands on your lower abdomen and feel how your abdominal wall rises when you inhale and lowers when you exhale. Breathe in and out as deeply as possible in a steady rhythm. Then focus more and more on the phase of exhalation and try to make the duration of the exhalation longer and longer. With each exhalation, you can now imagine that all the stress and strain of the day can fall away from you.

You can do this exercise as an experiment in the privacy of your home, but you can also practise it while you are out and about. Try to focus on your breathing whenever you become aware of it throughout the day. When you feel under pressure, breathe in and out deeply. Place your hands on your lower abdomen and feel the movements created by deep abdominal breathing.

Are you familiar with abdominal breathing? What changes do you notice when you practise it? Would you like more instructions on how to practise and deepen this technique?

Let’s talk about it in a free initial session!

#breathing #life #abdominalbreathing #automatism