Stress can be effectively dispersed by deep breathing. It’s not that the stress can be avoided or magically disappear, it’s that one can mitigate the impact of stress on the body. Relaxed breathing, alone, or with meditation or yoga, etc, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which acts like a brake on the sympathetic stress response.
The gist of the importance of breathing can be broken down into basic technique. It simply requires breathes be
- light
- slow
- nasal
- diaphragmatic
Rapid deep breathing sends a message to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system. That being said, emphasize gentle/light, slow breathing to support energy and the parasympathetic nervous system. As long as the deep breaths are slow, long inhales/exhales instead of rapid, deep breaths, we are golden.
One doesn’t have to follow any specific technique, but here are several that may work for you:
- Box Breathing (popularized by Navy SEALs): Inhale for 4 counts → hold for 4 → exhale for 4 → hold for 4
- 4-7-8 Breath (Dr. Andrew Weil’s approach): Inhale for 4 counts → hold for 7 → exhale for 8
- Resonance Breathing: Breathe at a steady rate of ~6 breaths per minute
And when in doubt, patients can go over breathing exercises with our health coach.
