This last year I have made some progress.
Then Charlotte Cannon (of Fox Point Farm) shared her tricks for channeling calm in our own bodies. Breathing was on there! However, it is a specific breathing pattern. Inhale big and exhale twice as big! I usually inhale for a count of four and exhale for a count of 8. Anything less doesn’t seem deep enough and anything more feels more like drowning when I am already anxious. Also, these counts are what Lucas Rockwood calls “whiskey breathing”. Here is his TedX video: Change Your Breath, Change Your Life | Lucas Rockwood | TEDxBarcelona. He also talks about using breathing to stimulate the Vagus Nerve and activate the rest/digest cycle of the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). When two smart people say the same thing separately, I pay attention!
Charlotte also has other quick tricks to activate the PSNS that I combine into breathing. The first one is to activate the core muscle called the transverse abdominus. It sounds complicated, but it is really simple: pull your belly button toward your spine. Odds are if you have ever taken a Pilates class you have heard something similar. My instructor will say “inhale expanding the rib cage, exhale navel to spine”. Pilates also is designed to activate the muscles of the PSNS which includes the transverse abdominus, balancers, and stabilizers. Again, a separate echo of the same message from Charlotte. Stay tuned for a Pilates specific blog post!
It doesn’t end there! Charlotte has two more tricks to activate the PSNS that I also implement in my breathing. First, part your teeth. It is impossible to truly get the benefits of the PSNS with a clenched jaw. I am so guilty of this that I recently got some stern words (again) from my dentist! Not to mention this also causes headaches and similar tension in horses (see my blog on comparable parts for my example of my jaw tightness while riding). Breathing mindfully will also give you a chance to mindfully part your teeth. When I need something to help with no thought, I chew sugar free gum.
Second, keep your tongue off the roof of your mouth. Same concept as jaw clenching, but it is a little bit easier for our bodies to have tension in our tongue without our noticing. I have had to wear guards to keep me from clenching my jaw or I mindfully part my teeth, but I have noticed even then I tend to jam my tongue into the roof of my mouth. Today I woke up with a headache because I had done this in my sleep! I will often check in with myself and “count my teeth” with my tongue to relieve tension and make sure it is relaxed.
Ok, so how does breathing help with these mouth things other than being mindful? Well, with the first method I mentioned! If you do your double count exhale through your mouth you will naturally part your teeth and remove your tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Alright, so there are a few elements of how I optimally channel calm through breathing. I don’t always do them all since deep mouth breathing can be weird in an open office or close proximity environment. I add as many elements as I can given the situation and my anxiety level:
- breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth
- breathe in fairly deep (count of 4) and out for twice as long (count of 8)
- on the exhale bring your navel to your spine
- be sure when breathing that your teeth are parted and your tongue is relaxed
I have been focusing on this A LOT lately with a lot of stress from work and studying for my big 4 hour certification exam. I have tried the different methods and am really happy with this mix. It's amazing how simple breathing can channel calm by activating the PSNS.