Take A Breath!

Find a moment of peace, and learn to embrace the wellbeing benefits of proper deep breathing

- LISA BURN

Breathing - it's obvious isn't it? It's something we all do automatically, yet it is also a deeply therapeutic action that can have far reaching effects on both mental and physical health.

We breathe on average more than 25,000 times each day and probably notice no more than a handful of them. Yet conscious breathing - being aware of your respiration - brings with it multiple wellbeing benefits.

Breath, or pranayama, is a central tenet of yoga, but breathwork also stands alone as a wellbeing technique anybody can employ to decrease stress levels and increase their sense of calm, whether they practise yoga or not.

"Through being aware of the breath, we can begin to observe it and can consciously control it," explains Jacqueline Carson, a clinical hypnotherapist, meditation and breathwork teacher based in Darlington (hypnotherapy-darlington.co.uk).

"Conscious breathing can help to reduce stress and anxiety. This is especially so if it is practised regularly as part of your daily routine."

When we're stressed or anxious it tends to show in our breath, which is shallow, coming from the chest rather than the stomach, when what we should be doing is focusing on breathing deeply and slowly, says yoga teacher Libby Stevenson (libbystevensonwellbeing.com).

"Belly breathing is a method of breathing that slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure, creating a sense of calm.

"It's this slow, extended exhalation that switches the nervous system from 'flight, fight, freeze' (stressed or anxious state) to 'rest and digest' (calm state)."

Why does the way we breathe matter?

According to Jacqueline, immersing yourself in the breath takes your mind off your worries, helping induce a state of calm.

"Anxiety is often brought about by feelings of worry about the future," she says.