Bringing relaxation within our control…
Many of us have experienced relaxation sessions, perhaps during yoga class or guided meditation. These sessions commonly include ‘breath work’, with a focus on consciously slowing, calming, and regulating our breathing – but why so much focus on breathing? What does it mean to ‘regulate the breathing’ and what does this have to do with relaxation and anxiety?
The sympathetic/parasympathetic nervous system
You’ve probably heard of the ‘flight or fight’ response. This is more accurately known as the ‘sympathetic nervous system’ [SNS], a responsive state that is triggered when we are aroused or alerted to danger and need to act fast. You may not have heard, however, of its counterpart, the ‘parasympathetic nervous system’ [PNS]. The PNS can be thought of as your inbuilt relaxation response, a ‘calm yourself’ system that kicks in when fight or flight is no longer required.
Both systems are part of the autonomic nervous system, a responsive system that operates below our level of awareness to control the organs and systems of the body (for example, heart rate, digestion, muscle tone and temperature). They kick in incredibly rapidly, in a fraction of a second, as they work together to maintain a dynamic balance between response/alertness and rest/repose.
So, the fight or flight response (SNS) prepares you to respond to stimuli in your environment… several physiological changes occur to ready you for action: the heart pumps faster, moving blood from the centre to the periphery (the limbs); muscle tone increases; breathing becomes rapid, as your lungs grab the extra oxygen required; and energy and resources are redirected from maintenance functions, as your mind and senses become more alert. This can be likened to putting your foot on the accelerator for a surge of energy.
Once danger has passed, the foot can be ‘eased off the accelerator’ thereby allowing the PNS to resume control. Maintenance functions such as digestion, body temperature regulation, repair and immune systems all recommence as energy and resources are distributed more evenly throughout the body. Your breathing calms, your heart rate slows, and your muscle tone softens. Your mind becomes less vigilant, less alert, and less responsive to the environment, leading to rest and ultimately to sleep.
An ideal and responsive balance
When working as it should, this constant adjustment enables just the right amount of SNS activation for the task at hand, whether that be running from a bear, meeting a deadline, speaking in public or approaching a prospective mate. Once the task is accomplished, or the threat is over, the PNS kicks in, dampening down the SNS, calming you down, taking your foot off the accelerator. This balance is crucial – after all, who wants to drive around full throttle all day!
A deeper level of relaxation
Unfortunately, modern life throws up many complex stressors (both real and anticipated), which can interfere with this ideal balance, leading to excessive levels of tension and alertness, trouble sleeping/concentrating, or feelings of agitation - perhaps even weakened immunity or digestive problems. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could use our inbuilt calming system more fully to bring our system back into balance!
It’s easy to think of these systems as autonomous, beyond our control, but there is a way we can begin to redress the balance, tilting us towards the rest and repose response. And that’s where breathing comes in. Breathing directly stimulates these two systems. When we inhale, we have to tense muscles, thus increasing our heart rate a little and ever so slightly activating the SNS. Exhalation, on the other hand, requires no muscle tension whatsoever; it’s just letting go and releasing the breath. This release of tension decelerates the heart rate, re-activates the PNS and signals the mind to calm down.
We can use the breath to increase and then release tension. We use muscle tension to breathe in and then hold the breath before letting all tension go as we breathe out. Exhalation, like relaxation, requires no effort, it’s just about letting go and doing nothing, an absence of effort. You can slow the rate of exhalation by slightly pursing the lips to very softly slow the escape of the breath, so that the PNS is triggered more fully. Using our breathing in this way promotes the rest and repose response and we experience a deeper level of relaxation.
Bringing relaxation within our control
The good news is that this gets easier with practice. We can learn to notice when our breathing is too rapid, with shallow breaths and rushed exhalation. We can then deliberately slow the breathing (regulate it) and signal to our bodies that it’s time to relax.
Similarly, with practice we can become aware of where in the body we are holding our muscles tense. All actions require muscle tension. Even thinking and visualising will activate tiny muscles in the vocal cords/eyes. Emotions, too, are associated with highly specific muscle movements. For example, anxiety and fear affect your posture, and dismay and distress can lead to tension in the brow (frowning). We’re often unaware of what we’re doing with our muscles, but we can learn to observe the tension in our body and, in time, control it. With practice we can learn to apply this calming method ‘on demand’ in response to challenges, stressors and demands. Whenever we notice the tension in our body kicking in, as our anxiety increases, we can slow the breathing and let the muscles go, thereby activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
This is known as emotional regulation - and we can use it to help us cope with whatever life may throw at us.
