Relax and Breathe

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"As breath stills our mind, our energies are free to
​unhook from the senses and bend inward"
~ B.K.S. Iyengar ~

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Time to breathe again, in case you needed a reminder. This week I am offering guidance on box breathing and just a bit of information about the benefits of breath retention.

So take a moment to find a comfortable seat or somewhere to lie down, click on the video below, and get your breath on!

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Box Breath

Box breath, or square breath, is a four part breathing technique with equal parts inhaling, exhaling, and suspension of breath in between. Just as the previous breath techniques, this one has a number of benefits. 

Benefits: 

• Gives more control over one's physiological state
• Provides focus and mental clarity 
• Increases energy
• Regulates and calms the autonomic nervous system
• Lowers stress 
• Improves sleep
• Improves health in cardiovascular functions by increases blood flow to the heart and lungs 
• Increases our bodies ability to navigate external stressors
• Lowers heart rate and blood pressure

How to do the technique:
In the video above I walk you through, however, if you want to return on your own and need some guidance, below is the step by step instruction of how to do the breath. 

1. Sit up right in a comfortable seat or lie down on your back 
2. Inhale through the nose for a count of 4, completely filling the lungs 
3. Suspend your breath at the top for a count of 4 (do not breath in or out)
4. Gently exhale all of the air for a count of 4
5. Suspend the breath at the bottom for a count of 4
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for 4 or more rounds

As you breath, keep your body as relaxed as possible. If you ever feel you are gasping for breath rather than breathing gently, try reducing to a count of 2 or 3 for each part to start and work your way up from there. Overtime as this breath becomes easier, feel free to increase your count for each part of the breath, working up to 6, 8 or more. Remember if at anytime you become lightheaded or dizzy, stop the technique and return to your natural breath.  

Contraindications for box breath:

• Pregnant
• High or low blood pressure
• PTS or PTSD: holding the breath can induce feelings of uneasiness which may trigger PTS 

It is not to say that if you fall under any of the conditions mentioned that you cannot practice it, but rather to proceed with caution, ask someone who is knowledgeable to be present with you, and/or consult with your doctor before moving forward.
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Hold Your Breath

Has anyone ever told you "don't hold your breath" to imply that something good may take time, or may never happen at all?  Well in this section I am going to explain how good things happen when we do hold, or rather suspend, our breath mindfully.

So what are some benefits of mindful breath suspension?

The main one that comes to mind is teaching our mind and bodies how to stay calm when under stress. our response to stress. 

When we hold our breath, the carbon dioxide begins to rise in our blood which increases our desire for oxygen by encouraging us to take a big breath. But when we don't give our body the breath it is craving, our bodies sends a stress signal because it thinks you are running out of air. Depending on how long you hold, you may experience pain in the chest, convulsions in the stomach as the diaphragm contracts to try to draw in air, feeling light headed, muscle contractions, and eventually your body will force you to breath again by causing you to black out and resuming the automatic breathing mechanism.

Don't worry, my intention is not to make you pass out or convulse, or even to say that holding your breath that long is necessarily good. My point is that when we hold the breath, we create a somewhat controlled stress response in the body. In this stress response, if we are able to remain relaxed, quiet the mind, and find ease, then we can more easily do so when it comes to stressful situations that are out of our control.

Think of it like practice... and practice makes progress.

Other benefits of controlled breath retention:

• Adaptability to stress
• Benefit of slight increase of carbon dioxide and carbonic acid in the body
  • Vasodilator - open blood vessels to allow blood to flow more easily to the heart, brain, and body (vasodilators also lower blood pressure as blood is able to move more freely)
  • Bronchodilator - opens the airways to allow in more oxygen
  • Improves oxidative metabolism which increases energy through better oxygen absorption
  • Can reduce inflammation
  • Can improve digestion through increase of hydrochloric acid
• Better self awareness
• Improves mental stability, function, and focus
• Can temporarily improve strength and flexibility
• Induces a calm and relaxed state
• Might help you live longer
  
  

Resources and References

Have I piqued your interest?
If so, below are some resources and references where you can read more on the benefits of breath retention. 

• "Scientific studies have revealed that people who practice meditation and/or
  free-diving show marked changes in their brain and nervous system."
  - Develop Mental Power with Breath Holding
  
• "Aging is not necessarily about wearing out. It’s more about the various
  balancing points in your metabolism becoming deranged. And your
  tolerance level to CO2 is one of those balancing points that gets
  reprogrammed by bad breathing habits as time passes."
  - Is Holding Your Breath Good for You
  
• "Reactive oxygen species produced in response to changes in the level of
  oxygen in water can promote the regeneration of brain tissue in newts.
  - Hold your Breath!
  
• "Your breath holding capability is a good indicator of your overall wellness."
  -Breathe Simple
  
• "Holding your breath, as well as generally improving breathing and lung function, has useful, potentially lifesaving benefits"
  - How to Train to Hold Your Breath Longer Safely
  
• "Hitherto, both the autonomic nervous system and innate immune system
  were regarded as systems that cannot be voluntarily influenced. The
  present study demonstrates that, through practicing techniques learned
  in a short-term training program, the sympathetic nervous system and
  immune system can indeed be voluntarily influenced."
  - Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and
  attenuation of the innate immune response in human
  

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Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and hoping you all find more time for mindful breathing.

We are still offering online herbal consults if you are unable to make it in and are looking for additional assistance in these interesting times. Call us for any questions or to schedule at the number below.


With gratitude,
The Harmonizing Healthcare team

(928) 856-0656