How To Breathe For Calm & Nervous System Balance

Welcome. In this short video, we’ll explore how to breathe in a way that supports your nervous system and overall wellbeing. Many of us develop shallow or stressed breathing patterns without realising it. By learning to breathe slowly and deeply, we can calm the body, reduce stress, and bring the mind back into balance. The breath is one of the most powerful tools we have to regulate our nervous system and reconnect with ourselves.

Transcript

Now I would love to share with you how to actually breathe properly because there is such a thing as an ideal way to breathe for your health.

So first of all,

Your nose is for breathing and your mouth is for eating.

So unless you are doing some very specific breathwork practices to actually activate your whole being,

You always want to be breathing through your nose.

So in everyday life,

If you're doing everyday routine things,

Ideally you want to be breathing in and out through your nose.

In general,

Breathing out through your mouth is okay.

And we're going to be doing different practices where we are breathing out through the mouth.

But in everyday life,

Ideally in and out through your nose.

Now,

There's a number of reasons for that.

Your nose actually filters the air.

Your nose warms up the air.

When you're breathing through your nose,

It can activate your parasympathetic nervous system response in the body,

Which is the rest and digest.

It's telling your body that you are safe.

Great.

As well as when you're breathing through your nose,

Nitric oxide is being released,

Which is a vasodilator and actually increases blood flow in your body.

So your body is being oxygenated more.

So you're going to have more energy.

Also,

Even if you're doing some really hectic out there exercise,

Ideally you want to be breathing through your nose so you have more energy in your body.

It's going to make a huge difference.

As well as you want to be breathing deep into your belly,

No matter what you are doing.

So as you are inhaling,

Your belly is expanding like a balloon.

Your rib cage and your chest will naturally follow.

The reason for that is when you start breathing deeply into your belly and hopefully start using the full capacity of your lungs,

Once again,

You're going to have more oxygen running through your whole being.

So you're going to have more energy in every part of your body,

Including your mind.

So you're going to have better focus,

Better concentration,

Better memory.

So this is really worth it,

Giving it a good go.

So what I like to say is if in everyday life you're catching yourself breathing through your mouth,

Don't worry,

Many people are accustomed to mouth breathing.

I want you to do this.

Amazing,

I've noticed.

An opportunity to remember to breathe through your nose,

Because maybe an unlearning and remembering has to happen.

As well as if you catch yourself breathing really high up in your chest,

Go,

Amazing,

I've noticed.

An opportunity to place a hand on your belly and to start taking nice,

Deep belly breath.

Our breath,

Really,

I like to see it as one of our many superpowers.

The moment we start utilizing it actively as our ally,

Real magic can unfold.

When we start breathing deeply into our lungs as well,

What happens is we're going to start using our diaphragm more.

And in the next video,

I'm going to explain a little bit more what the diaphragm is.