Calming your nervous system with breathwork

This article covers

• Intro

• The Science - of your nervous system and how breathwork can help calm it down.

• Benefits - what breathwork can help with.

• Method - simply follow these steps.

• Resources

intro

Breathwork is an incredibly simple yet profoundly powerful way of calming down our nervous system. Focused breathing is not only easy, you can do it anytime with your eyes open or closed, in a crowd of people, even in active listening to someone, or whilst working, no one has to know. Yet your body will still respond by rewarding you with a sense of calmness.

The Science of Your ANS

the science

how your ans works

Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is divided up into 3 branches: Parasympathetic (PNS), Sympathetic (SNS) and the Enteric (ENS) nervous system.

The PNS and SNS tend to have opposing actions to each other. One will trigger a response within your body, whereas the other will inhibit or slow it down.

The SNS raises blood pressure and speeds up your heart rate. The PNS will act to lower blood pressure and slow your heart rate down. The ENS controls digestion and activates peristalsis (where the muscles of your colon contract & release) helping poop to move along through the colon.

We need all 3 parts of the ANS to be functioning in balance. If your nervous system is overly stressed the likelihood is you’ll have both digestive and emotional symptoms.

+ mind body connection

We all knows that our emotions affect our body. If you are happy, you automatically smile and when you are feeling calm, safe and relaxed your breathing slows and deepens.

This is the joy of the parasympathetic nervous system, which produces a relaxing effect.

In contrast to that, if you were being chased by a lion, being hurt, in pain, or tense, your breathing would speed up and become shallower. This is your sympathetic nervous system in action.

Studies have discovered that slow, deep breathing increases the activity of the Vagus nerve, a part of parasympathetic nervous system; When the vagus nerve is stimulated, it takes the body from stress and increases feelings of peacefulness.

Which is why practising breathwork effects your body neurologically and psychologically.

You can practice focused breath anytime for your wellbeing.

Breathwork Benefits

helping an array of symptoms

The Method

Resources

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-autonomic-nervous-system-2794823#toc-what-is-the-autonomic-nervous-system