There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing in and out about 25,000 times a day. Research shows that even small adjustments to the way we breathe can improve our athletic performance, rejuvenate our internal organs, and even cure asthma and autoimmune disease[1].
What is the big secret behind mindful breathing?
The answer lies in the complex mix of how our brain works, our brain’s primitive responses to signals of danger, and how unconscious processes in our body are then controlled in response to these signals [2]. These signals and reactions are also called our “fight and flight” response, or simply our “stress” response. And here lies the power of conscious breathing: with breathing you can DIRECTLY influence this “stress” response. The old Asian wisdom knows many techniques that play with this principle. Many different breathing rhythms to consciously activate our “stress” response, or the “relaxation” response, or the balance between the two.
Of course we also have the more modern variants, such as the currently very popular techniques of Wim Hof or the Heartmath methods flown over from America. At Heartmath they have done years of scientific research into the positive effects of heart coherence and stress reduction [3]. They have also developed biofeedback tools that make your stress level and the effect of your breathing immediately visible on a screen.
And what can you do with this knowledge, what can you do?
Breathe consciously for five minutes in the morning, five minutes in the afternoon, and five minutes in the evening. This is how you bring and keep your balance between your “stress” and “relaxation” response. Just 15 minutes of your day can make a world of difference. After a few weeks you will already have tangible results: more rest, more balance, improved concentration, more focus, improved sleeping pattern. You immediately say YES to this, don’t you?
The breathing exercise is explained in detail below:
Easy right? Get started, and keep going!
Do you have challenges with your attention? No worries!
Below is a video link to guide your breathing.
Ademhalingsoefening frequentie 6x per minuut om je dagelijkse stress en spanning te verminderen
I wish you lots of breathing power!
Raphaelle
Sources:
[1] Het nieuwe ademen, James Nestor , 2022
[2] De kracht van emoties, Heartmath 2020
[3] https://www.heartmath.org/research/research-library/
