And Breathe...

The best things in life are free, or so the saying goes. And when it comes to our body, we have an incredible, inbuilt way of being able to self regulate and calm our central nervous system, and it’s completely free, it’s called breathing! 
When the breath is unsteady, all is unsteady; when the breath is still; all is still. Control the breath carefully. Inhalation gives strength and a controlled body; retention gives steadiness of mind and longevity; exhalation purifies body and spirit. - Goraksha Shataka, an early hatha yoga text, written in around the 10th century in the tantra tradition.
Breathing deeply, with a slow and steady inhalation and exhalation activates our parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) sometimes known as our ‘rest and digest mode’. And when our PSNS is activated, it slows our heart and breathing rates, lowers blood pressure and promotes digestion. Our body enters a state of relaxation and recovery and helps to bring our autonomic nervous system back into balance. And yet so often we find we do not take advantage of this incredible resource. 
Breathwork is an integral part of meditation and yoga practice. And diaphragmatic breathing can have an extremely therapeutic effect. So what is diaphragmatic breathing and how do you do it? For this we turn to the fabulous Aimee Hartley. Aimee has devoted her career to sharing and educating children and adults on the amazing power of breath and good breathing technique. 
Learning to breathe fully into the lower abdominal area is the first step to improving your breathing pattern. One technique is called Transformational BreathⓇ.  Transformational Breath is an incredibly powerful breathwork and can help relieve symptoms of asthma, unearth repressed emotions and help release feelings of joy! Taken from Aimee’s brilliant book Breathe Well, here is a beginner’s practice to get you started. 

• Prop yourself up on a bed, sofa or similar at a semi-reclined angle so your chest is higher than your legs. Make sure you are warm and that your head and neck are properly supported. Bend the legs at the knees.
• ​Place your hands on your lower abdomen - a few inches below the navel. Allow the tips of the thumbs to touch and the tips of your index fingers to make a reverse triangle shape. This is your “breathing space”.
• Open your mouth wide with a relaxed jaw (imagine the mouth halfway through a yawn).
• Take a long and slow inhalation through the mouth, the hands on your belly should rise with the inhalation. 
• Exhale with a short, relaxed sigh.
• Keep all your focus and gentle effort on the inhalation. The inhalation should be around three times longer than the exhalation.
• The exhalation should be quiet and relaxed - a short “sigh”.
• Make sure there are no pauses between the breaths. 
• Repeat this conscious connected breath for 2-5 minutes.
• Notice any physical sensations in the body. Perhaps a connection with the lower belly breath? Maybe tingling in the fingers, face and toes? More energy? It’s normal if your mouth feels a little dry. 
• Rest for a minute as you return to a normal breathing pattern - breathing through the nose. Have a glass of water to refresh the palate.

To learn more about your breathing ‘style’ and the various exercises you can include in your day to day life to help keep you in balance, Aimee’s book Breathe Well is available to purchase online from Amazon. And for some inspirational posts, lovely, quick breathing exercise videos, why not follow Aimee’s Instagram @breathe.well
Why not introduce aromatherapy into your breath-work and your day. Inhaling essential oils stimulates the olfactory system, the part of the brain connected to smell. Molecules that enter the nose or mouth pass to the lungs, and from there, to other parts of the body. In this way, essential oils can have a subtle, yet holistic effect on the whole body.  Zoe Henderson has developed a range of incredible pure essential oil blends to help relieve the stresses of everyday life. Why not visit the Angel Oil website today to shop our products www.angeloil.com  

Lots of love, Zoë xx
* Source: Londonpainclinic.com / Breathe Well by Aimee Hartley / Photo Credit: Eugene Zhyvchik  @ unsplash