Breathwork
Breathwork is an ancient form of medicine. Many traditional cultures worldwide consider breath as an essential and sacred lifeforce that can help us achieve harmony in our body, mind, and spirit. Breathwork is any type of breathing exercises or techniques. When you consciously focus on your breath your PNS is activated and feel-good hormones and endorphins are released. Essentially, it tells your mind you are safe so your body can relax and let go of stress or tension.
Truly, breathwork is a powerful and resourceful tool. Chances are you’ve probably engaged with it. If you’ve taken a yoga class or listened to a guided meditation, you’ve done breathwork. It’s as simple as paying attention to your breath just once. When you’re ready to explore this tool, it will always be available to you.
For people who have experienced trauma like ones we have mentioned in this zine, breathwork can be a very helpful self-regulating tool that can recreate that sense of safety. Many use breathwork as a way to release stuck emotions in their body and to heal from grief and trauma. Supporting our nervous system with breathwork doesn’t happen overnight. Just like with most healing tools, the more we practice the easier it will be for us to enter the zone of resilience.
Everyone is different, and everytime you practice breathwork you will have a different experience. Journal or take a mental note of what came up for you, thoughts, sensations, memories, and/or emotions. These can be clues for the next point of your healing journey.
The following activity is a great grounding and breathing exercise that is great at supporting an activated nervous system. We hope that it is a useful tool throughout your journey.
Four Element Exercise for Nervous System Regulation⁴⁰
- Earth: Grounding for safety in the present and reality
Take a few moments to “land” where you are. Feel the support of whatever is beneath you. Feel the contact that your skin makes with whatever it is touching. Look around the room to notice 3 things that you have not noticed before. Notice any sounds, smells, or tastes that might be present.
- Air: Breathing for centering
Notice your breath, place your hands on your belly. Breath in for a count of 4, hold for 2, breath out for four, hold for two. Continue breathing slowly and deeply, notice your belly move up and down with each breath. Feel free to adjust these counts as needed, to something that is manageable, but slightly outside of your comfort zone.
- Water: Turn on relaxation response to feel calm and in control
Make saliva in your mouth and swallow a few times. If you have trouble doing this, you can take a sip of water, tea or suck on a hard candy. Creating saliva turns on your digestive system, which in turn activates your body’s relaxation response.
- Fire: Light up the path to your imagination
Bring to mind a place or an activity where you feel safe, calm, and relaxed, or where you feel good about yourself. Bring all of your senses into this experience, so notice what you see, what you hear, what you taste, what you smell, and what you feel. Also, notice what emotions you feel being in this safe, calm space.
