"With each conscious breath, we present ourselves with Life itself. We land in the present moment with burgeoning awareness. Each deep, nourishing inhale is literally an abundance of inspiration and energy. Each relaxed, surrendered exhale is a letting go of both the "same old, same old" and the need to replace it with something new. In its place we find ourselves naturally alive in the midst of perpetual change."
- Trevor Yelich
Breath & Rhythm
The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is located in your brainstem. It receives and organizes all sense data in priority and relevance to survival (based on belief, experience and current state) and sends the pertinent information to the Thalamus. The Thalamus is like the mailroom of the brain. All sensory input is swept into the Thalamus to then get dispersed throughout the brain. This is happening at 20-80 HZ - an internal metronome that speeds up or slows down in an attempt to match the internal environment with the external - creating waves of information to be processed 20 to 80 times per second.
The Respiratory Central Pattern Generator resides in the RAS and is the area that controls the unmanipulated natural breath; i.e. how you breathe when you are not paying attention to your breath or when you watch your breath without interfering. This unmanipulated breath is working to maintain a baseline level of Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide and pH in the blood at all times, and this baseline or equilibrium can be set at an unhealthy balance when coping with chronic stress and the impacts of "overbreathing" or "underbreathing." The good news: this habituated/natural breath pattern can be retrained and optimized over time. Like any habit, with conscious doing, you effect your new subconscious way of being.
The waves of stimuli and assigned importance is what formulates your sense of self and directs you to pay attention to whatever is deemed a priority; based on past experience, beliefs, current state, and environmental factors. Generally speaking, the quicker the metronome, the more consuming (or loud) the sense of self becomes. Your breath is swept up in this bloom of stimuli. While your present moment natural breath is a tangible source for knowing your current Nervous System state, it's also the entry point to consciously go inward and regulate what needs healing and reframing. Story follows state. If you feel disconnected from yourself or others, or caught in maladaptive or hysterical patterns, it's possible your internal environment is responding inappropriately to external stimuli. In other words, the Nervous System is "trying" to take perceptions of the outside world (exteroception) and merge those with the perceptions of the inside world (interoception) and link them so we can operate in our environment appropriately (proprioception). When things are out of sync, you can take action by holding the hand of your breath as you access what is real for you with compassion and curiosity.
The act of conscious breathing with a coherent and functional rhythm is what revives a sense of synchrony in the RAS and supports harmony in the brain. Harmony in the brain results in more space and energy for growth, awareness, practice, course-correction, patience, compassion, and upgrading beliefs and perspectives. Even quick breathing, when engaged in consciously and therapeutically (Conscious Connected Breathing, for example), when done for short periods of time, it can act like medicine to allow people to experience themselves, others and life differently. It may be reducing their identifications (by down regulating the default mode network in the brain that is involved in identity and autobiographical memories) and providing more ready access to old beliefs and other mental/emotional material.
It is through the slow, soothing and gentle rhythm of your breath that you can access your higher self state regardless of whatever else is present for you. It is this harmony and rhythm, or the regulation of breathing, that is intimately linked to the regulation of all processes in the brain.
Because rhythmic durational breathing seems to synchronize the brain, we can then see why different patterns of breathing elicit different experiences of self. And when breath-work is repeated consciously with an intention of seeing ourselves more clearly, we can potentially facilitate different knowledge of self. Regulation and human up-leveling starts with you, each of us, together, as one.
"Altering our breaths' depth, rhythm, and rate changes our attitude, perception, and stress level. In essence, to have breathing patterns at all is to be experiencing imbalances in some way. When in health, the human body is constantly adjusting itself around optimal homeostatic ranges and will therefore constantly adjust the depth and frequency of breathing to meet the demands incurred internally and externally (through changes in activity and environment)."
- Trevor Yelich
The main breathing muscle
The diaphragm is the thin dome-like muscle that attaches to the bottom of the heart and lungs, expanding out in connection to the chest wall, spine, ribs, sternum, abdominal cavity, and anchored at the first (or lowest) ribs. Referred to as the thoracic pump, it is the negative pressure in the chest during inspiration that pulls venous blood into the vena cava and right side of the heart so that it can circulate to the lungs. The respiratory diaphragm is one of six pumps (or diaphragms/transverse planes) in the human body.
"The diaphragm is a major component for inspiration. To inspire means to take a breath. If the diaphragm becomes loose and pliable - as the largest muscle in the body - then it starts to secrete the peptides of inspiration. When you are inspired, you are friendlier, you are more loving and more caring, your more willing to share. "
- Guru Singh
Most commonly spoken to is the relationship between the respiratory diaphragm and pelvic floor diaphragm, as the ideal healthy functioning being these two moving in sync - both lowering on the inhale, and lifting back to neutral on the exhale - managing the movement from intrinsic core through the entire body. The movement of breath is our primary source of energy, detoxification and connection to life. Each breath impacts us at the cellular level, supporting the process of metabolism which is essentially the process of continual change.
"It has been suggested that around 70% of the toxins brought into the body are removed through the breathing process, which happens through two main processes. First is the simple elimination of the by-product of a living body's metabolic process, carbon dioxide, with each exhalation. Second is through the movement of the diaphragm, our primary breathing muscle. This muscle's movement assists in activating the movement of lymphatic fluid throughout the body, carrying poisons/toxins, dead cells, and excess water from around our cells back into systemic circulation. This waste material is then separated and broken down into reusable components and refuse. The reusable components are recycled and reused by the body. The refuse is expelled from the body and/or stored in lymphatic nodes to keep it from negatively impacting the body. A medical study on diaphragmatic breathing showed that deep breathing leads to as much as 15 times the normal amount of toxin elimination in the body."
- Trevor Yelich
Diaphragmatic breathing also ensures the removal of excess water from the extracellular environment via a well circulating lymphatic system and keeps cells in what is known as a "dry state." It is vital for cells to be in a dry state in order to absorb the oxygen available in the body. The imbalances from poor oxygenation in the cell leads to cell death and/or disease (i.e. cancer).
"[Conscious] Deep abdominal breathing also stimulates and refreshes the internal organs directly, through massage, and indirectly, through increased cardiovascular circulation. The use of diaphragmatic breathing has also been shown in medical studies to improve the hearts' health in patients with heart disorders."
- Trevor Yelich
When you understand and experience your breathing as an integrative process, with many body parts and systems' optimal functioning being in intimate relationship with the health and act of breathing, you may start taking your breath more seriously.
What is it to breathe well/properly?
When you feel good, life feels good. When you tune into a sense of flow within, life begins to flow with ease. When you understand how to get yourself into that ideal and optimal state, suddenly the roadblocks or struggles that once plagued you begin to unravel and release in the present moment.
Your inhale is connected to your Sympathetic Nervous System, and exhale is part of the Parasympathetic Nervous System. There is a time and a place for breathing through your mouth and it is not meant to be habitual way of breathing. Challenge yourself to breathe through your nose as often as possible throughout your day to keep steady levels of nitric oxide flowing and gain the benefits of using the nose for filtration, hydration, and breath volume management.
Tune into the proper initiation of the respiratory and pelvic floor diaphragms and intrinsic core working harmoniously. On your inhale, feel the natural drop down of both diaphragms, creating space for breath, and on the exhale, the surrendering release as both diaphragms lift back up to neutral. This detoxifies your system and cultivates an increasing level of present moment awareness.
By remaining steadfast on the breath, we experience a wide range of our impulsive reactions, and can consciously and gently notice, feel and release by remaining with the rhythmic breath at an exceedingly slower rate (towards 6-8 breaths per second). Including breath holds at the top of your inhale and bottom of your exhale will support you in increasing your tolerance to CO2 fluctuations, which is a vital ingredient for our body to absorb and utilize the oxygen it needs.
"Breathing slow, less, and through the nose balances the levels of respiratory gases in the body and sends the maximum amount of oxygen to the maximum amount of tissues so that our cells have the maximum amount of electron activity." - James Nestor, Breath
By engaging in this breath technique daily you will improve your ability and capacity to stay aware, present and conscious to constant change and choice while witnessing your patterns unravel before your eyes. When you understand and experience your breathing as an integrative process, a gateway to higher levels of consciousness, and having a direct impact on your physical, mental and emotional states, you may start taking your breath more seriously. With intentional practice, conscious doing becomes your new subconscious way of being. Stress is not the enemy, it is your teacher.
"The way you choose to cope with stress can change not only how you feel, but also how it transforms the brain. If you react passively or if there is simply no way out, stress can become damaging.”
- John Ratey, SPARK
CO2 Tolerance
The common reminder to take a deep breath when feeling stressed can have an adverse effect in our system. While oxygen is obviously necessary for life, it's CO2 that we need to pay more attention to - specifically to ensure we have enough in our blood at all times in order to capitalize on the oxygen available.
Generally speaking, we need approximately 5-7.5% CO2 present in our lungs/blood to ensure that we can utilize the 95-98% oxygen saturation in our blood (which is the common level for those at sea level or acclimatized to current altitude). Without enough CO2, the O2 sticks to the blood cell wall and will not absorb into the body, which was discovered in 1904 by the Danish physiologist Christian Bohr (referred to as the Bohr Effect).
"Danish physiologist Christian Bohr discovered over a century ago: Blood with the most carbon dioxide in it (more acidic) loosened oxygen from hemoglobin. In some ways, carbon dioxide worked as a kind of divorce lawyer, a go-between to separate oxygen from its ties so it could be free to land another mate. This discovery explained why certain muscles used during exercise received more oxygen than lesser-used muscles. They were producing more carbon dioxide, which attracted more oxygen. It was supply on demand, at a molecular level. Carbon dioxide also had a profound dilating effect on blood vessels, opening these pathways so they could carry more oxygen-rich blood to hungry cells. Breathing less allowed animals to produce more energy, more efficiently. Meanwhile, heavy or panicked breaths would purge carbon dioxide. Just a few moments of heavy breathing above metabolic needs could cause reduced blood flow to muscles, tissues, and organs."
- James Nestor, Breath
For most people, getting enough oxygen is not the problem. At sea level, generally, 75% of the O2 inhaled is then exhaled. Even in exercise when we need more O2, the body generally exhales as much as 25% of the O2 inhaled. Breathing greater volumes of air actually equates to less O2 being delivered throughout the body, as CO2 levels drop, airways constrict and O2 begins to stick to the blood cells.
"Rather than focusing on breathing in more O2, we should be focusing on retaining the CO2 in our blood, which facilitates the delivery of O2 throughout the body."
- Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage
High CO2 Tolerance is directly correlated to an expansive Window of Tolerance, which means more awareness, more energy, more presence, more healing and more positive growth.
"Chronic overbreathing leads to loss of health, poor fitness, and compromised performance and also contributes to many ailments including anxiety, asthma, fatigue, insomnia, heart problems, and even obesity."
- Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage
With each 9-12 minute practice session of nose-breathing, conscious breath holds, and intentional and gentle practice of remaining in the state of slight air hunger, your respiratory center readjusts (resets) to a an increased tolerance to fluctuations of CO2 levels (i.e. lower volume of air and calmer breathing), and nasal breathing will become more comfortable and natural.
"Holding the breath after exhalation provides greater consistency for measuring progress, involves less stress on the lungs, and provides a higher concentration of both nasal nitric oxide and CO2 which relaxes, and dilates the airways."
- Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage
“The yogi’s life is not measured by the number of his days, but the number of his breaths” B.K.S Iyengar
In summary: Breathing Well/Proper Breathing
"Underbreathing," "Overbreathing," versus "Breathing Well: breathing less more often and breathing more occasionally."
"Scientists discovered that our capacity to breathe has changed through the long processes of human evolution, and that the way we breathe has gotten markedly worse since the dawn of the Industrial Age. They discovered that 90 percent of us -- very likely me, you, and almost everyone you know -- is breathing incorrectly and that this failure is either causing or aggravating a laundry list of chronic diseases. On a more inspiring note, some of these researchers were also showing that many modern maladies -- asthma, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psoriasis, and more -- could either be reduced or reversed simply by changing the way we inhale and exhale."
- James Nestor, Breath
Chronic (unconscious) Under breathing:
- Apnea while awake
- Unconscious shallow breathing (generally associated with hypoarousal)
- Intellect Over ride/Overthinking
- Not present
- Often coupled with overbreathing (when pattern is hyper and hypo)
- weak diaphragm, strain on heart/thoracic pump, poor lymphatic drainage, poor digestion/metabolism
- CO2 elevates and blood pH drops to acidic level
Chronic (unconscious) Over breathing:
- Can manifest with chronic mouth breathing, excessive yawing or sighing
- chronic anxiety, ADHD, body image obsession/eating disorders (generally associated with hyperarousal)
- low tolerance for CO2 locks you in overbreathing pattern
- CO2 drops and blood pH rises to alkaline
Almost all cellular functions in the body take place at a blood pH of 7.4, our sweet spot between alkaline and acid.
Breathing Well - Breathing Less more often and more occasionally:
- Coherent Breathing
- Expand window of tolerance and build strength in diaphragm with Conscious Connected Breathing and Conscious Breath Retention to be with elevation and descension of Carbon Dioxide without panic or avoidance (Optimize tolerance of CO2 fluctuations)
- Buteyko techniques for mild air hunger to slowly reset your Respiratory Pattern Generator
- Discern when to upregulate or downregulate versus when to compassionately be with your current state to re-pattern and reparent emotional charges (increase Vagal Tone for quicker emotional resolution)
- Work towards 5.5 rhythm: approximately 5.5 breaths and 5.5. liters of air per minute (breathe less)
- Increase Aerobic Capacity and Red Blood Cells (exercise while nasal breathing and work towards slowing breath rhythm as heart rate and work load increases)
For some of these details explained, check out my podcast episode all about BREATH. For more information (yes there is a lot more where this came from!), please reach out for further support.
If you have questions, need support, or have some feedback to offer on what I have shared above. Let’s keep learning and growing together.
marinmccue@gmail.com