Summary: How we breathe directly affects how we react to stress. Most of us are chest breathers, though it would be better to breathe from the diaphragm. Diaphragmatic breathing can actually rewire the nervous system to reduce stress and improve wellness.
Teaching breathwork often means teaching students to think in new ways. For example, we often tell students to breathe from (or into) their bellies. To the uninitiated, this might sound like wellness jargon that doesn’t mean anything practical. But in reality, learning to breathe from the belly accomplishes something amazing.
Breathing from, or into, the belly is what we call ‘diaphragmatic breathing’. Beneath the surface of this simple technique is actually a sophisticated biological hack. Diaphragmatic breathing is absolutely a relaxation technique. But it also overrides the nervous system. It changes the way the nervous system does what it does. In fact, diaphragmatic breathing is so transformative that it actually helps ‘rewire’ the connection between the brain and lungs.
The Difference Between Stress and Rest
If someone were to ask you to describe the difference between stress and rest, you could offer a very clear explanation based on your own physical and emotional experience. But would you understand what is going on biologically? Would you know how your nervous system responds to both states and vice versa?
The human body has a nervous system. Also known as the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) it functions on the biological equivalent of autopilot for the most part. There are two branches, each of which plays a different role:
Sympathetic – The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is like the accelerator in your car. Its primary responsibility is the fight-or-flight response. When the pressure is on, your mind and body need to be able to react accordingly. The SNS guarantees it can.
Parasympathetic – The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is like your car’s brakes. It is in control when your body is in rest-and-digest mode. Creativity peaks during periods of rest. This is also when your body can heal itself.
Tying these two subsystems to how we breathe begins to explain how diaphragmatic breathing can rewire the nervous system. It is rooted in the fact that most people are chest breathers – the chest controls inhaling and exhaling.
Why Chest Breathing Is Problematic
To understand why chest breathing is problematic, it is important to know that chest breathing is the default during SNS activation. When you are stressed, you take shallow gulps of air into the upper chest. This tells the brain that you have a problem. It also tells the brain to keep the pedal to the metal.
Normal chest breathing throughout the day encourages stress. So if you are a chest breather, you probably find it hard to relax. Remember what your mother told you: slow down and take a deep breath. That is not just an old wives’ tale. Slowing down and taking a deep breath – especially when controlled by the diaphragm – activates the PNS. It is the antithesis of chest breathing.
Breathing and the Vagus Nerve
Something else we need to consider is the vagus nerve. It is the longest cranial nerve in the human body, running from the brainstem all the way down to the abdomen. This nerve interacts with every major organ in the body.
Meanwhile, you have a dome-shaped muscle just underneath your ribs. It is called the diaphragm. It’s conveniently placed right next to the vagus nerve. So when you breathe deeply, from the belly, your diaphragm actually stimulates the nerve.
Biologically speaking, diaphragmatic breathing sends a signal to the vagus nerve that all is well. Think of it as clearing a fault code from your car’s computer. Clearing the code tells the computer system that there is nothing wrong. There’s no reason for the dashboard to continue lighting up like a Christmas tree.
Diaphragmatic breathing also triggers the release of a neurotransmitter known as acetylcholine. This amazing brain chemical acts as a natural sedative. It lowers blood pressure and slows the heart.
Putting It All Together With Breathwork
Breathwork emphasizes diaphragmatic breathing. In so doing, it puts together all the little nuances pertaining to the ANS, vagus nerve, and diaphragm. Here is the amazing thing: contrary to common belief, diaphragmatic breathing is not about getting more oxygen. It is actually about controlling carbon dioxide (CO2).
Our bodies actually need CO2 in controlled amounts. When a person breathes quickly and in shallow breaths – as is normal with chest breathing – too much CO2 is released. Likewise, too little oxygen is released. There is less available to make it to tissues throughout the body. If you’d like to know more, look up the Bohr Effect.
At any rate, diaphragmatic breathing slows things down and helps the body optimize CO2. This has an impact on the balance of alkali and acid in the blood. In essence, it balances the blood’s pH level and reduces the chemical signatures associated with stress.
Synchronizing Breath and Heart
There is another misconception we need to address when we teach people breathwork: that a steady heart rate is part of the goal. It’s actually not. A healthy heart varies in terms of the time between heartbeats. It speeds up slightly during inhalation and slows down during exhalation.
The difference between these two rates is known as heart rate variability (HRV). The lower the variability, the more stress the heart is under. So in breathwork, we try to teach students how to synchronize their breathing with their hearts. Successful synchronization is known as coherence. And when a student can achieve coherence, they tend to experience better emotional regulation and focus.
The Diaphragm Changes Everything
There is a lot more about breathwork and diaphragmatic breathing to cover. For now, it is enough to know that the diaphragm changes everything. There is a reason professional singers and actors are told to breathe from the diaphragm. What helps them as performers can also help you learn to relax and de-stress.
Breathwork is one of the practices we offer at Maloca Sound. We invite you to learn more about it, as well as diaphragmatic breathing, as a means of rewiring your nervous system and getting a handle on stress. Mastering the art of diaphragmatic breathing could literally change your life by changing your physical and mental health.
FAQs
All of us breathe naturally. Why do we need to learn diaphragmatic breathing?
Our highly stressful world has turned most of us into chest breathers. But chest breathing is not good for the nervous system. Diaphragmatic breathing is better.
What is the diaphragm, exactly?
The diaphragm is a muscle. It is a dome-shaped muscle found at the base of the lungs.
How long does it take for the nervous system to respond to diaphragmatic breathing?
The response is almost immediate, even though a person might not feel it right away. Just 3-5 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing can have a significant impact on biology.
Can diaphragmatic breathing help with physical pain?
Some people report good results with diaphragmatic breathing. It is believed that stimulating the vagus nerve and activating the PNS has some impact on inflammation.
Can breathwork be combined with other wellness practices?
Absolutely. We recommend combining it with sound healing, taking advantage of practices that will help keep you focused during breathwork.
