22
APRIL, 2021
Breathwork
Healing
Powerful Practices
Stress Management
I googled my symptoms…
And it turns out I just needed to breathe.
STRESS – It’s a million little things, and the big ones that pull the rug out from under you, and a lot of us getting in our own way in between.
Stress is a part of life, you can’t escape it. Sometimes it can help you build strength and resilience by pushing you to break free of unhealthy patterns or passive living. And then there are times when you really are in danger and you need your brain to be the boss in a split-second. But the truth is, stress sends a lot of us (over 70% of people) to Google researching our symptoms, and unhealthy self-medicating to dull or distract us, or to the doctor with chronic headaches, backaches, racing hearts and minds, and a whole host of other physical and mental symptoms and illnesses.
If you feel like you get regularly hijacked by stress, here’s what’s happening:
Without you even knowing, you start to breathe faster and more shallow and sometimes you even have a panic like attack, where you find it challenging to breathe at all. When this happens, it sends a signal to your brain that you are in danger, and it does what a good brain should do, it prepares you for a fight or a quick retreat. Your heart rate increases, your breath becomes rapid and shallow, sending adrenaline and cortisol into your system. Blood flow increases to your muscles, creating tension, taking blood flow away from other vital functions, it slows down digestion, increases inflammation and puts you into a hyper-alert state. Great, if you’re being attacked by a tiger, not so great if you’re stuck in traffic with a bunch of other folks who are tired from a long day at work too.
There is another way, it’s where you decide to be the boss. You can transform stress in the moment, and rewire your brain to respond to stress consciously, and eventually without even thinking about it.
Imagine how different stressful situations would be if you were relaxed and fully equipped with your wits and awareness?
You take your power back every time you’re faced with fear, stress, anxiety, and in your worst moments, when you start to feel your heart, breath and mind racing, and you say NO, not today with a slow deep breath, and then another, and another.
You have the power to take slow, deep conscious breaths and send a message to your brain that you will not be getting hi-jacked by stress today. It has the opposite effect of the rapid, shallow breaths we talked about earlier. Slow, deep breathing balances oxygen and blood flow throughout your body for recovery, healing and function, decreasing your heart rate, blood pressure, and the release of stress hormones, it allows your body to rest, digest and release toxins.
Above and beyond the very real physical benefits, lets talk about one of the most profound benefits. You cannot process emotions or traumatic experiences in a state of stress. When you live in a chronic state of stress or overwhelm, you repress emotions, because in that state, all your energy goes towards survival. When you practice conscious breathing, you build a bridge between your conscious and unconscious, creating a safe space for emotions to be fully felt and processed, and even unpacked after years of “trying to heal”. It won’t be easy at first. These feelings, fears and old memories can trigger you, but you cannot process and release them without facing them, feeling them fully, your breath can help you do that.
BTW – the best time to breathe is when you don’t feel like it! And you won’t feel like it when you’re stressed.
But here’s the thing – you’re the boss of your body, and it comes with some amazing perks that we rarely use to their fullest. Like your brain and your lungs – even better, how they can work together to transform stress and help you realize your power.
So remember, you’re the boss, and your breath is your wing-person!
With love,
Wendi – TRU founder teacher & trainer.