The Power of Positive Breathing (Anxiety and Your Brain Part 2)

Posted on January 13, 2017 in Brain and memory, EPPP Study Tips, Mindfulness by Robin Phillips

In our previous post, ‘EPPP Anxiety Part 1: Anxiety and Your Brain,’ we looked at how to use focused meditative breathing to relieve anxiety, including the type of anxiety experienced by those preparing to take the EPPP. I promised to share research on how this type of meditation can actually increase the size of the brain, improve social skills, make it easier to achieve mental clarity and focus, in addition to increasing emotional intelligence, self-regulation and resilience.

Before jumping into this research, let’s review three reasons why slow breathing is so powerful for maintaining a positive orientation in the mind and body.

1. Slow Breathing Means “I’m Safe”

Perhaps you’ve notice that the rate of your breathing automatically speeds up whenever you’re confronted by danger. This even happens when you’re watching a scary movie. Faster breathing is the body’s way of getting ready to either flee or fight.

The really cool thing is that this phenomenon also works the other way round: when you slow down the pattern of your breath, you send a message to the body that you’re safe. If you are able to slow your breathing down to four breaths a minute, this tells your body that you are really safe.

Try it right now if you feel inclined: breathe in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, and then let your breath out for four seconds. At the end of a minute you’ll have only taken five breaths, yet surprisingly you won’t feel short of air; rather you’ll be amazed at how safe and secure you’ll feel. Through this type of controlled and deliberate breathing, . . .

Read the rest of the article at The Power of Breathing