The Breath Pt.1

I'm going to let you in on a lil secret.

That really shouldn't be a secret.

But somehow this isn't discussed as much as it should be...

Our breath holds POWER

The way we breathe can immensely affect our body-not only physiologically, but from a mental standpoint as well.

We've gotten REAL good at short, shallow breaths into our chest.

I mean, it's normal!

And you know what else is normal for most people??

To be stressed OUT!

And now get this...our stress level is related to our breathing????

What!?

The more we take shorter, shallower breaths into our chest and shoulders, the less likely we are able to calm our central nervous system down.

This leads to an increased release of the stress hormone "cortisol" , which elevates our 'flight or flight' sympathetic nervous system. 

Now this is the real mind f**k....

The more cortisol we have in our bodies, the more stressed out we are, which leads to MORE shallow chest breaths. 

So we've got this fun, continuous cycle going of taking shallow breaths, which leads to more stress, which leads to even more shallow breaths.

It can also lead to a lack of awareness and strength of our Diaphragm (our primary breathing muscle) AND core function/strength along with an increase in aches and tension in the body...

Now maybe as you're ready this you're thinking well damn I'm stressed out RIGHT NOW learning about the fact that I'm possibly breathing wrong....what the heck do I even about this???

Luckily, I've got a solution!

The key is your breath.

Learning to diaphragmatically breath can be a game changer.

Inhaling deeper-and instead of in the chest and rising shoulder....we bring the breath down into our belly.

Thinking about how young children fully expand their belly out as they breath.

That's what we want to focus on.

Now once you master the 'belly' breath, you can begin to focus in on expanding into the belly *and sides of ribs-but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Becoming mindful of our breath is a lifelong journey, but the more we do it, the more natural it will become.

My #1 tips:

-First begin practicing inhaling into your belly lying down in bed before you fall asleep (that's a great way to begin, PLUS it's a bit easier to begin lying down and helps calm your body, prepping it for rest)

-Then begin to practice it whenever you feel yourself becoming extra anxious or stressed out about something. It can help to be more mindful of your breath, PLUS it'll help you calm down as well...

-Last one, if you can do it safely, try practicing it while you're in the car or in traffic! Just make sure you can still focus on what's around you ;) !

Now, I coach women through this breathing pattern ALL the time with all my clients--and there's more to add on that can help with core engagement, the pelvic floor, low back pain, urinary urgency and more!

Happy Breathing :)

xo,

Mikayla