Unless we are into some type of meditation or we are a singer we probably don’t pay much attention to our breathing. This is unfortunate.
How we are breathing and how our breathing changes tells us alot about us.
Our breathing is very closely related to our emotions. When I am angry my breathing is different to when I am sad and it is different again when I am laughing. Watching what our breath is doing can even give us a clue to how we are feeling. The way someone speaks to us may lead to a change in our breathing well before we are conscious that we are angry.
Our breating is both automatic and voluntary (it happens even when we are not thinking about it and we can also change it when we want to). Changing our breathing can sometimes help us change how we are feeling. Going for a walk regularly (so that we breathe more deeply and regularly – among other things) can be as useful as some anti-depressants. (There are no doubt other parts to this story but changing our breathing is part of it.)
So, I’d like to invite you to try out some things.
- Throughout today stop a few times and check in with your breathing. It only takes a few seconds. And see if you become more aware of how you are feeling.
- See if you notice your feelings change when your breathing changes (say when you go for a walk or when you stop walking and sit down).
