With each breath of air, we obtain oxygen and release the waste product carbon dioxide. Poor breathing habits diminish the flow of these gases to and from your body, making it harder to cope with stressful situations.

Improper breathing contributes to anxiety, panic attacks, muscle tension, headaches and fatigue. Learning to be aware of your breathing and practising slowing down and normalising your breath helps to rest the body and quiet the mind.

There are two types of breathing:

- chest or thoracic breathing

- abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing

Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing is the natural breathing of newborn babies and sleeping adults. Breathing is easy and non restricting. The respiratory system is able to do its job of producing energy from oxygen and removing waste products.

Chest breathing is shallow and often irregular and rapid. It is often associated with anxiety or other emotional distress. When you are feeling pressured you may experience shallow breathing. This can develop into hyperventilation. Hyperventilation is often linked to panic attacks, shortness of breath or fear of passing out. If insufficient air reaches the lungs your blood is not properly oxygenated, your heart rate and muscle tension increase and your stress response is switched on.

Breathing Awareness

Getting your breathing under control can switch off the stress response and help you gain control of your body. Increasing your awareness of your breathing patterns and shifting to more diaphragmatic breathing is the easiest way of eliciting the relaxation response.

Close your eyes. Put your right hand on your abdomen, right at the waistline, and put your left hand on your chest, right in the centre.
Without trying to change your breathing, notice how you are breathing. Which hand rises the most as you inhale - the hand on your chest or the hand on your abdomen?

If your abdomen expands, you are breathing from your abdomen or diaphragm. If your abdomen doesn’t move, or moves less than your chest, you are breathing from your chest.

To shift from chest to abdominal breathing make one or two full exhalations to push the air from the bottom of your lungs. This creates a vacuum that will pull in a deep, diaphragmatic breath on your next inhalation.

The following examples also encourage diaphragmatic breathing:

Example One

Close your eyes or focus on an object in front of you. Inhale slowly through the nose counting 5 - 1, and then exhale counting 5 - 1. As you inhale, your diaphragm will expand, and will contract as you exhale. As you breathe out relax your face, jaw, shoulders and hands. Do this ten times.

Example Two

Close off your right nostril using your right index finger. Inhale through your left nostril counting 5 - 1 and then exhale counting 5 - 1. Do this 5 - 8 times and then repeat closing off your left nostril and breathing through your right nostril.

The ’60 Second Tranquiliser’

The ‘60 Second Tranquiliser’ is another useful way to practice breathing and gain control.