working through emotions
ChampagneYogiSomatic breathwork can be a powerful tool for managing emotions and integrating emotional tension. Every emotion we feel comes with a different breathing pattern and flow.
what is somatic breathwork?
Breathwork refers to deep, diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing, which research suggests may trigger relaxation responses in the body.
Somatic breathwork is the relationship between the breath and the “soma”, or the body. “Somatic” comes from the Greek sōmatikos, meaning “of the body.” It is a revolutionary and highly therapeutic practice of mindful breathing that allows your body and mind to get more oxygen using the best of ancient and modern breathing practices. Why is this crucial you ask? Because every healthy cell in the body is fueled by oxygen.
why is this important?
Nothing is more essential to our health and well-being than our breath. Yet most of us aren’t breathing correctly.
How we inhale and exhale significantly impacts our overall wellbeing and conscious breathwork can be transformational in your healing journey. We all have psychological wounds and emotional scars from our past and when left unresolved these wounds remain embedded in the body, or soma, indefinitely. This leaves us in a highly contracted state of being. Stress and overwhelm become a daily lived state which puts us at a high risk of dis”ease” and disease.
The missing pillar in health is breath. It all starts here.
Breath work and breath retention training are powerful tools for managing stress and achieving a sense of calm and clarity. By learning to control your breath, you can tap into your body’s natural relaxation response, reducing anxiety and helping you handle stress better.
emotional pain
Emotional pain, such as grief, sorrow, and loneliness, is a part of daily life. We ebb and flow through a contracted state and one of ease naturally. However, when emotional pain gets left unresolved it gets layered onto what Eckhart Tolle calls the emotional pain body.
Over time, this layering of emotions stagnates the body’s natural flow of energy or prana. This causes unnecessary stress to the body and nervous system, keeping us in a continual state of vigilance. Such emotional holding patterns underlie many of the aches, pains, injuries, and illnesses we suffer.
Society has taught us to shield our emotions, to be strong and to “push through”. Social media has created a superficial reality, with unrealistic views of other people’s lives causing more pain than ever. When our grief is suppressed, it becomes a learned behavior. Overtime we build layers upon layers of grief, pain, sadness and overwhelm which eventually emerges as anxiety and can lead to panic attacks, depression and a host of various diseases.
pause:
Take a moment to reflect on your breath when you laugh, cry or feel anxious. Positive emotions are felt as an expansion of your breath, you feel light, a sense of euphoria and expansive, while negative emotions are felt as a contraction, heavy and painful.
during pain
At times we unconsciously hold our breath to control an emotional outburst, or during times of physical or emotional stress and pain. Imagine yourself lifting something heavy, just the mere thought of it makes me take a deep breath in, and then I naturally hold my breath bracing myself for a physical stress.
Now thing of a time when you were upset, maybe even crying. Do you remember taking a deep breath in only to hold onto to it?
Both of these breath hold examples, leave us in a contracted state, where our muscles tense up just as they would if we were being chased by a Sabertooth Tiger. Our body is in a heightened state of awareness and stress, otherwise known as the sympathetic state where our body and mind intuitively want to protect us from some sort of threat.
After bracing ourselves for physical pain we tend to release a long conscious exhale which naturally restores our central nervous system, returning us to a parasympathetic state.
During emotional pain, there often is no clear ending, thus keeping us in a prolonged state of heightened awareness.
in flow
We also naturally hold our breath at the bottom of an exhale during times of deep sleep, meditation and when we are in a state of flow and feeling at ease. Scientific studies have shown that controlling your breath can help to manage stress and stress-related conditions.
somatic breathwork benefits
Conscious body breathing can help promote relaxation, reduce stress, increase energy and so much more. More importantly, it can release “trapped” emotions.
Breath retention has been used for centuries in practices such as yoga, tai chi, qigong and meditation.
One benefit of breath holds is improving focus. When we hold our breath, we are forced to concentrate on the present moment and let go of any distractions or external stimuli. This heightened sense of focus can carry over into other areas of our lives, helping us to stay more present and grounded and better able to handle any challenges that may come our way.
In addition to improving focus, breath holds can help reduce chronic stress. Holding one’s breath activates the body’s natural relaxation response, helping to calm the mind and reduce feelings of anxiety or stress.
Breath control also helps to increase overall well-being. The relaxation response activated during breath retention can help reduce muscle tension, improve sleep, and even boost the immune system. This can lead to improved physical and mental health, helping us feel our best inside and out.
how somatic breathwork heals
Transformational healing occurs when emotional wounds are addressed at their root. Somatic breathwork brings conscious awareness to the places where our body has contracted around painful emotions that have yet to be processed.
During intentional breathwork, the parasympathetic nervous system signals the mind to turn off the fight, flight, and freeze response and turn on rest and digest, allowing the body to naturally relax. Trapped emotions and tension are released when the mind and body can remain relaxed for a period of time.
Conscious breathing retrains the body and mind to choose to live in a relaxed state of unlabored breathing or eupnea—in other words, calm yet alert becomes our default way of being. As we build our practice, we naturally become consciously aware of how our body feels. We quickly recognize any heightened or stressed state and we can “choose” to change the way we feel with the healing power of our breath.
similar to meditation
Somatic Breathwork is a relatively new concept, yet it’s something we’ve been practicing for generations.
Breathwork is similar to meditation, as you build your meditation practice, you boost your overall well being with conscious awareness. With meditation you learn to quickly recognize your mind spiraling and can consciously choose a different thought. It calms your mind and softens your body so you can return to your True Self.
Somatic breathwork affects us on two levels, similar to how meditation works. On a surface level, conscious breathing relaxes the body and calms the nervous system, but the effects are temporary. On a deeper level, breathing heals the layers of trauma stored in our bodies.
It’s from this safe and relaxed state, we can let sorrow be sorrow, hurt be hurt, and grief be grief.
One of the great qualities of breathwork is that you don’t have to practice for months to experience change. You will notice the calming effects immediately. However, lasting, transformational healing takes time. Think of it as a tool in your toolbox to recovery.
learn how to breathe
While it’s wonderful to have a dedicated breathwork space, one of the gifts of Somatic breathwork is that you can do it anytime, anywhere. If you’re away from home or traveling, you can breathe on the airplane, in your hotel, or anywhere you find yourself. Your breathwork practice is always as close as your next breath.
1. Find a comfortable position to rest. Either lying on the floor or seated in a chair.
2. Now, (if you can) put your hands on the sides of your ribs, not the hips.
3. Next, as you inhale (preferably through the nose), breathe into the sides of your ribs, so they expand out to the side. Not out to the front.
4. As you exhale, sit taller. Inhale and expand your ribs wider, exhale and sit taller.
5. You can release your hands, but keep imagining they are still there as you continue breathing.
somatic breathwork for emotional regulation
Before practicing any breathwork, be sure to find a comfortable, quiet and safe space.
During Somatic Breathing: the diaphragm is the large muscle responsible for breathing. During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts, and the rib cage expands. During exhalation, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles of the ribs relax.
coherent (resonant) breathing
Coherent breathing is a grounding form of breathwork that focuses on reducing the amount of breaths per minute. Unlike some other types of breathwork, coherent breathing focuses on the length of inhalation and exhalation, and not on how deeply you are taking in air. This type of breathwork was developed by Stephen Eliott in the early 2000’s to help relax the mind and regulate the nervous system.
Technique:
1. Sit up straight, relax the shoulders and belly, and exhale.
2. Inhale softly for 5.5 seconds, expanding the belly as air fills the bottom of the lungs.
3. Without pausing, exhale softly for 5.5 seconds, bringing the belly in as the lungs empty. Each breath should feel like a circle.
4. Repeat at least 10 times, more if possible.
Benefits:
A calming practice which places the heart, lungs, and circulation system into a state of coherence, and where the body systems work at peak efficiency. There is no more essential technique and none more basic.
Improving functioning of :
Phrenic nerve: This nerve controls the diaphragm and is essential to breathing. Coherent breathing helps engage the phrenic nerve in a slow and consistent rhythm, which increases the circulation of blood in the body.
Vagus nerve: The vagus nerve is the biggest part of the autonomic nervous system, which controls many of the body’s functions, such as breath rate, digestion, and heart rate. It is also responsible for fight, flight or freeze responses. Coherent breathing can stimulate the vagus nerve, which moves the nervous system out of fight or flight and into a more calm state.
Amygdala: The amygdala is responsible for emotional responses, such as fear and anxiety. This part of the brain can take over when a person is in a fight or flight response. Coherent breathing can disengage this part of the brain and put the more logical parts of the brain back in control.
Conscious Breath Awareness
Technique:
Begin by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. Notice the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves your body. Pay attention to the rise and fall of your chest and the expansion and contraction of your diaphragm.
Benefits:
Conscious breath awareness helps you become present in the moment and allows you to detach from overwhelming emotions. It promotes a sense of calmness and relaxation, reducing the physiological arousal associated with stress or emotional tension.
Extended Exhalation
Technique:
Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your lungs to fill with air. Exhale slowly and completely through your mouth, making the exhale longer than the inhale. Focus on releasing tension with each exhale, allowing your body to relax.
Benefits:
Extending the exhalation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting a relaxation response. This can be particularly effective for reducing anxiety and stress. The intentional focus on the exhalation also encourages the release of physical tension in the body.
Grounding and Release
Technique:
While breathing deeply, visualize any emotions or tension as a color or energy within your body. As you exhale, imagine releasing that color or energy into the ground, allowing it to be absorbed and transformed by the earth. Inhale a sense of calm and peace, and exhale any remaining tension.y
Benefits:
This technique combines breathwork with visualization and grounding, providing a symbolic way to release and transform emotional tension. It helps create a sense of lightness and relief, as well as a connection to the present moment.
Additional Tips:
Consistency is Key: Regular practice is essential for reaping the full benefits of somatic breathwork. Establish a routine to integrate these techniques into your daily life.
This could be a simple 5 minute practice before you get out of bed each morning, or before to go to sleep at night.
You can carve out time during your day as way to reset the central nervous system. Try to do this before you notice you are in a contracted state.
Mind-Body Connection: Be mindful of the connection between your breath and emotions. Notice how shifts in your breath pattern can influence your emotional state and vice versa.
Professional Guidance: If you’re dealing with significant emotional challenges, consider seeking guidance from a trained somatic therapist or breathwork practitioner.
Remember that individual experiences with somatic breathwork can vary, and it’s essential to listen to your body and adjust the techniques to suit your needs. Always consult with a healthcare professional if you have any underlying health concerns.
Remember you deserve to live a healthy vibrant life full of happiness and love!