Breathing to Relax; Stress and Fight, Flight or Freeze

Deep breathing helps calm the nervous system. It brings in precious oxygen to nourish the cells, and expels toxins and carbon dioxide which your body doesn't need.

The body's defense mechanism of the 'fight, flight or freeze' response increases adrenaline, slows the digestive system and our breathing becomes shallow, all assisting us to deal with whatever threat is before us by fighting the attacker, running away or freezing like a deer in the headlights. But it's not only being attacked by a wild bear or the trauma of a car accident that can tip off this self-defense mode. Stress and anger in daily living can do it as well.

For the most part we don't take the time to recover and relax from this state, just going on with whatever needs our attention next. Running away or fighting an attacker helps discharge the energy that your body creates for your use in the situation, but freezing stores it in the body as a tissue restriction. Many of us 'stuff' our anger, stress or fear instead of expressing it, which perpetuates the fight/flight/freeze response. Without deep breathing our bodies cannot absorb as much oxygen that is needed to maintain proper health, and cannot fully discharge the toxins that are a natural byproduct of cell function.

So what do we do?

Massage therapy helps reduce stress and instill deeper breathing, and you can also try specific breathing exercises. This one is my new favorite, from Dr. Andrew Weil: place your tongue at the junction between your top front teeth and the soft tissue of the roof of your mouth. Keep your tongue here during the whole exercise. Open your mouth and exhale audibly. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose fo a count of FOUR. Hold your breath for a count of SEVEN. Then exhale audibly through your mouth for a count of EIGHT. Repeat through four cycles, then breathe normally.

Deep breathing increases oxygen intake and expels toxins. It helps us to relax, promotes better restful sleep, reduces stress anxiety and anger, and assists us in living happier lives.

I highly recommend Dr. Weil's book Spontaneous Healing, and Waking The Tiger by Peter Levine from which much of the above information was taken. They both expand wonderfully on the benefits of working through stress using breathing, body work and other avenues of better health.