Why is deep breathing so important?
Well, we know that breathing is a very important part of our bodily functions without which we can not live. So often when you tell anyone to breath, they will say : ‘I do, I don’t need to think about it’. What they are referring to is an activity done subconsciously from the moment we are born to the moment we die… the last breath…
Unfortunately, as this is all dealt with by the subconscious mind we often forget to engage with our breath which results in going through our lives using shallow breathing, therefore holding tension in our bodies. First in your jaw, neck and shoulders, then the rest of your body. Keeping constant tension in your muscles and joints making the body react as it tries to fight that tension with higher blood pressure, or all sorts of ailments or pains, from holding slight anxieties to full blown panic attacks. Depending on how you hold your breath constantly and for how long, your subconscious mind will teach your body all these little tricks in order to combat the tension.
So what happens to your body when you actually concentrate and notice your breathing?
Well, when you breath in, you bring oxygen into your lungs, then the rest of your organs which in turn promotes better blood flow. So the deeper the breath, the more oxygen your take in, the better the blood flows.
When you breath out, all the way out, neurons are fired in your brain with an instruction to the body to relax. So you automatically relax and let go of the tension in your jaw, your neck, your shoulders and so on…
Breathing deeply promotes relaxation and focus, clearing your mind and in turn lowering your blood pressure and giving you that ‘happy feeling’.
It does explain why it is used in so many practices such as meditation, yoga, mindfulness, relaxation and hypnosis. All these practices have that ‘feel good’ label for a very simple reason, they bring you back to the breath, and to the body and mind, helping all parts of you to rest and relax.
Using the breath in hypnotherapy is very important to get you into that relaxed state which then engages the subconscious into listening to suggestions, which is why you will always end a session feeling extremely relaxed and happy.
So, do yourself a favour….take a nice deep breath… and relax…
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