Your breath is the remote control for your brain
Imagine being able to reduce feelings of anxiety, soothe your body to enhance a night of deep rest, or sharpen your mind in preparation for an important event.
That’s exactly what your breath can do for you.
Read on for why this works and for three breathing patterns you can use straight away to change your thoughts and mood.
My understanding of how the body and brain work together has changed a lot recently. I held the belief that the brain is the master and the body, while still highly intelligent, was subservient to whatever orders it was receiving. Learning more about the neurology of the heart has made me question this view. And it also sheds light onto why breathing practices can be so profound for reducing conditions like anxiety and depression while also enhancing mental and physical performance.
The brain and body are often thought of as separate entities. However, in the context of modern biology, the brain is just an organ, albeit a very sophisticated one. That puts it in the same category as your stomach, liver, lungs or heart.
Your brain acts like a manager. It receives, processes, filters and refines everything that is happening in your body. It then sends intelligent commands back to the body to coordinate normal function. Your nervous system is responsible for sending and receiving all of that info. There is an overwhelmingly vast loop of input and output being handled by your brain every second. Whilst it’s fair to say that the brain manages the body (and does so magnificently), it’s not the complete picture.
It turns out that the heart itself has its own mini-brain. There’s an entire field of medicine devoted to this called neurocardiology. Your heart also releases hormones that were once thought only to be produced by the brain. And your heart appears to be able to act independently of your central nervous system.
Your mini heart-brain exerts a powerful influence over your actual brain.
Your brain and heart are linked by an important set of nerve fibres called the vagus nerve. Significantly, there are four times as many fibres carrying information from your heart to your brain than the other way round. An analogy would be a four lane motorway going up with a one-lane road travelling back down. The significance of this is that even though your brain is responsible for managing your body, your heart has a great degree of influence over how your brain manages your body.
And here’s where breathwork becomes so powerful as a tool for self-regulation.
With every in breath you take, your heart speeds up a little. On your out-breath, it slows down. This means that your in-breath has a slight sympathetic (activating) effect while your out breath has a slight parasympathetic (calming) effect.
Slowing your breathing slows your heart rate which tells your brain that everything’s OK. This can help alleviate or manage anxiety, overthinking and overwhelm. Extending the length of your out-breath has a similar effect.
Speeding up your breath or increasing the length of your in-breath has a stimulating effect on your energy levels.
Because your breath and your heart have such a close, predictable relationship, changing your breath always changes your heart. And because your heart has such a strong influence on your brain, changing your heart rate always changes how your brain works.
Making use of this natural effect can provide a greater sense of empowerment. There are countless self-help methods, techniques and programmes that promise greater control over your thoughts and feelings.
The simple fact is that taking control of your breathing changes your heart, your brain and therefore your thoughts and mood.
Your breath can act, via your heart, like a remote control for your brain.
Here are three breathing patterns that you can use straight away to access the state of being you want.
1 - Relaxation
Breathe in for a count of 3 and breathe out for a count of six.
This pattern slows your heart rate and signals to your brain that you’re safe and at ease. It can be used during periods of overwhelm, after challenging experiences or to prepare for sleep and rest.
2 - Balance and Grounding
Breathe in for a count of 3, hold for 3, breathe out for 3, hold for 3.
Our breathing patterns can become chaotic when we’re overwhelmed. Focusing on keeping the same ratio between your in-breath and out-breath can have a balancing effect on your energy and mood. When I do this, if I’m tired it will tend to give me more energy and if I’m hyper it tends to calm me down.
3- Energising
Take a deep in-breath for 3, hold for 3 and breathe out for 3.
If you’re needing a quick boost then holding for a few seconds after taking a deep in breath will have a stimulating effect. You’re signalling to your brain and body to release some energy for action.
All of the above work best with repetition and practice. Three is just a guiding number but you could increase or decrease this depending on how you feel. Some people like to set a timer for a few minutes or more and do these practices until the buzzer goes. Aiming for 5-15 minutes a day is ideal. You could spread this out to a few sessions throughout your day.
Summary
Your heart has its own intrinsic nervous system that communicates with your brain. You can use your breath to change your heart and therefore your brain. This allows you to influence your thoughts, mood and behaviour.
