Sympathetic Breathing

Sympathetic Breathing How To

Step 1 Sit up straight and keep your throat open; do not hold your breath. Breathe, not too deep and not too shallow; control the depth of your breath to be sure you don’t get too much or too little oxygen.

Step 2 Make a slow, smooth transition from your in-breath to your out-breath, and likewise make the same slow, smooth transition from your out-breath to your in-breath. You can think of this slow, smooth transition like a wave the comes up on the beach, slows, gradually changes direction, and begins to pick up speed as it returns to the sea.

Step 3 Change the direction of your breath on 5-second intervals – 5-seconds for the in-breath and 5-seconds for the out-breath. For the best effect, continue this practice for two to five minutes. Repeat this practice several times a day. Especially practice Sympathetic Breathing when you experience stress.

Sympathetic Breathing and Your Autonomic Nervous System

Your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) controls your ‘Fight or flee’ response and your ‘rest and digest’ response. During a typically stressful workday, your ‘Fight or Flee’ response is over-activated and your ANS does not have a chance to return to a healthy balance. Over time, your ANS loses its flexibility and chronic illness results.

Sympathetic Breathing restores the natural healthy rhythm to your ANS. As you breathe in, your ’Flight or Flee’ (Sympathetic) response activates slightly and your heart rate increases by a few beats per minute. As you breathe out, your ‘Rest and Digest’ (Parasympathetic) response activates and your heart rate slows a few beats per minute. This change in heart rate is known as Heart Rate Variability.

Sympathetic Breathing works in harmony with a powerful low frequency (0.1 Hz) that is naturally produced by your heart. This low frequency is known as the Baroreflex. To activate this reflects you must breathe in harmony with this 10-second cycle (0.1Hz). Each breath will be 10-seconds.

The alternating rise and fall in heart rate and the activation of the low-frequency rhythm gently "rocks" your nervous system into a more normal function. Your ANS significantly shifts to a "Rest and Digest" response; you feel a deep relaxation.

Why Is This Important?

Sympathetic Breathing restores balance to your nervous system to decrease stress and lift depression.

Sympathetic Breathing brings mental clarity, creativity, and intuition.

You may even have better sleep.

Most illness today is a result of stress. Sympathetic Breathing reduces stress by restoring an important natural rhythm to your heart and autonomic nervous system.