THIS FREE TECHNOLOGY COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Today we find ourselves collectively overwhelmed by life’s astonishing pace and the expectations we have of ourselves. We are stressed by our jobs, politics, war, and climate change. Money stresses us out. Our kids stress us out. Our relationships are stressful too. Under this burden — the burden of modern life — too many of us are navigating from within a persistent state of absolute burnout. 

In our efforts to keep our heads above water we do our best to manage our fatigue, chronic pain, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Because we’d do almost anything to feel better our go-to solutions are usually the ones that give us immediate relief. We seek refuge in things that take pressure off fast like alcohol, drugs, screens, sex, and overeating. The thing is, we’re not just searching for relief, we seek a sense of calm and contentment that seems entirely possible —if just out of reach. Most quick fixes work for a time, until they don’t.

Yet each of us has at our disposal a simple tool that can bring both release and relief in the short term, and perspective and wisdom in the longterm. This tool soothes what’s out of balance in the moment, and provides a gateway to self-knowing and contemplation when practiced regularly. It’s not a bandaid, gimmick or trick. It benefits our physical health, can be accessed anytime and anywhere, and it doesn’t require special clothing or gear. Best of all: It’s FREE.

I know you’ve heard of it. But let me re-introduce you to the power of your breath.

Breathing is instinctive of course, and we intuitively use it for more than just oxygen — such as when we talk, express emotion, and sing. Our breath is also a powerful tool for self-regulation. It can help us reduce anxiety, cope with a crisis, manage our emotions, and recover from stress. ‘Slow down. Take a deep breath’ is common advice because we intuitively know that the way we breathe can support us in returning to a state of equilibrium.

But that is not all.

Breath can spark our creativity and improve our focus. It can enhance our connection with others, and even improve our outlook on life. Certain kinds of breathing support us in accessing a state of pleasant absorption —the same state that settles upon us when we become lost in activities we enjoy. But most importantly, practicing breathwork consistently, for any length of time, eventually serves as a gateway to self awareness. At the end of the day, it’s here we are graced with the soul nourishing gifts available to us through contemplative practices such as mindfulness and meditation.

Modern humans are children of the technological revolution. We are born of a culture and time that has taught us to look outside of ourselves for answers. We have come to rely on contraptions from automobiles to cell phones to transcend the capacity of our physical bodies. These technologies bring us tremendous access, insights, gifts and connectivity. But those same technologies tend also encourage sedentary living. When we’re engaging with them, most of the time our bodies are still, our breathing is shallow, and our minds are elsewhere.

This would be fine, except this is not how we were made; and it’s causing us problems.

Your body was designed to participate physically and fully with the world around you.

You were designed to move and breathe through the very physical activities that, up until recently, were required of you for your survival. You were meant to use the full capacity of your lungs to supply your tissues, organs and brain with energy in your search for food, shelter and safety. You were also built to utilize your full vocal range (powered by your lungs) to express yourself. You were designed to be in a close relationship with nature, and to shout, laugh, sing, argue and cry with the other members of your community.

Back to modern times.

In today’s world it’s likely your work and play don’t provide the amount of physical stress your body needs to stay healthy, so you must artificially replicate it. We call this exercise.

It’s also likely that your work and play provide you with more than enough mental and emotional stress to stay healthy, but are limited in opportunities to metabolize that stress. Verbal and expressive emotional outbursts are natural ways to off-gas. We know this because that’s what children do. But sobs, screams, groans, sighs, shaking and even boisterous laughter are not socially appropriate in most of the situations in which we find ourselves experiencing emotion. We’ve been taught to ‘hold it together’ —some of us are better at it than others 😉— but few of us were taught when and how to recover.

We have some options. We know physical exercise reduces stress; but too few of us get enough of it. Nature baths, bodywork, long walks and talking it out also help, but none of these mobilize the lungs like a good howl or cry.

Except breathwork.

Let’s try it:

Rest your hands in your lap and softly gaze out in front of you. Relax your jaw. Breathing through your nose, inhale, and when your lungs are full pause. Without straining, try to take in just a little more air. Whenever you feel ready (that pause can be short), exhale smoothly, letting the breath leave the body in one long stream. Repeat two more times. (It’s just 3 breaths. Set your screen aside and do it now. Go.)

Here’s what you need to know:

1. The path of wellbeing is not on your screen.

Unfortunately, many of our favorite relaxation activities don’t actually contribute to wellbeing. Whether you pull out your screen between meetings, during meals, or before bed, every time you ‘tune in’ to those virtual worlds, however captivating, you are stepping away from recovery and towards distraction.

Screen-based entertainment appeals to you by activating the neurotransmitter dopamine. Netflix series’, video games, and even Tinder are all modalities that provide your brain temporary jolts of pleasure in the form of dopamine hits. As the temporary rush from this naturally occurring relative of the chemical compound found in opioids fades, you are left with an unpleasant hangover in the form of desire for more of that dopamine-producing activity. This is how screens are addictive; and it’s the very opposite of wellbeing.

Although a fun distraction, screen time does not equal wellbeing. Sorry folks!

2. Your nervous system shapes how you see the world

Many of us now know that chronic stress, regardless of its cause, snares the body in a state of sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation. This is the branch of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) that is associated with the fight-or-flight response. Ideally our bodies rev up into the SNS activated state when necessary and readily toggle back into its counterpart, the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), in support of the more relaxed rest-play-digest state.

Persistent SNS activation, especially when stress becomes chronic, negatively impacts the immune system, supports inflammation, and is a risk factor for disease. Our bodies need the calm and ease of the PNS for recovery and repair.

What is not often discussed is that because the SNS is associated with negative emotions such as fear and mistrust, how we process incoming information is influenced by which branch of the nervous system is active when the information is received. This is why something that we normally see as a minor inconvenience can make us furious on the wrong day. Pause to consider the implications of this for a moment.

Those who experience elevated SNS activation are likely to see and engage with the world through the lens of the SNS, and more regularly experience emotions such as fear and mistrust.

3. You have some agency over your internal chemistry!

Good news. Certain breathing patterns can promote positive emotions such as delight and trust, and potentially the worldviews that go with them. Long full breaths are associated with PNS activation, particularly when the exhale is longer than the inhale.

Not only are certain breathing patterns associated with PNS activation, but breathwork has been shown to decrease levels of adrenaline and cortisol as well as other markers of chronic stress, and promote the release of oxytocin. Known as the ‘bliss hormone’, oxytocin is associated with social behaviors that promote bonding. It’s produced during childbirth and when nursing a baby, but also during joyful or ease inducing activities such as singing together in groups, acts of service, stroking a pet, welcome touch, and contemplative meditation or prayer.

Take a Breathing Break

The world around us is always changing. Everything we know is in a state of flux. You can’t always predict what will happen next, or control the circumstances in which you find yourself. But you can develop agency over your internal relationship to what is going on all around you. You have the power not only to tolerate, but to modify your internal experience by using the only mechanism of the autonomic nervous system of which you also have conscious control. Your breathing.

Our fast-paced world requires new paradigms for coping with the demands of modern living. I’m not suggesting you drop your Netflix subscription, and delete your favorite game from your phone. But in addition to these methods of passing your free time, consider gathering a handful of short, simple breathing exercises to add to your toolbox. Get in the habit of using them during those seemingly insignificant moments where you might otherwise soothe yourself with your social media feed. Rather than picking up your screen to tune out, take 3 minutes here or there to tune in to your breathing. You will probably find you feel better immediately.

You might even find you are sleeping better at night.

Here’s a good one:

Set the timer on your phone for 3 minutes. Sit up a little taller in your chair and rest your hands in your lap. Notice how you feel right now. Relax your hands. Relax your shoulders. Relax your jaw. Completely relax your face. Let your breaths become smooth and comfortably-paced. Now, assign a count to your breath. 4 counts to breath in, 6 counts to breathe out. When your timer goes off, silence the alarm and check in with yourself. How do you feel now? Repeat often.