How To Breathe | The Change Triangle

Breathing Instructions

Listen To Your Body.

Discover Core Emotions.

Connect to Your Authentic Self.

How To Breathe To Calm and Slow Down

I teach all my patients about the benefits of deep belly breathing and I show them how to do it. Often my patient and I practice together at the beginning of each session to help relax, get grounded and set the stage for the session.

The following are instructions for proper abdominal breathing that I like very much written by Acupuncturist Sharon Wyse, L.Ac. If you have other ways of breathing that work for you, that is great. To be sure, there is no one way to breathe. But no matter what method you use, breathing is supposed to relax you. Let that be your criteria for if you've found the right method for you.

Instructions for proper abdominal breathing:

Inhale slowly and deeply through your nostrils into the bottom of your belly. When you've inhaled fully, pause for a moment and then exhale fully through your mouth. Purse your lips and imagine that you are blowing on a hot spoonful of soup. As you exhale, just let yourself go and imagine your entire body going loose and limp. It should take you twice as long to exhale as it did to inhale.

Learning and using proper breathing techniques is one of the most beneficial things that can be done for both short and long term physical and emotional health. Abdominal breathing helps to relax the nervous system, reduces stress and tension, lowers blood pressure, and calms the mind. Practicing abdominal breathing also massages and tones the internal organs - particularly the digestive organs.

Getting back to proper breathing isn't hard but it does take practice. So, make it a point to integrate abdominal breathing at least two to three times into each day and you will see a transformation in your physical and mental health.

And...when it comes to working the Change Triangle tool, deep belly breathing is the best way to help us stay steady and confident as we allow our emotions to flow through us.

Play this video to practice grounding and breathing along with me. It usually takes at least 6 deep belly breaths before you feel the shift to more relaxation. be patient with yourself!