Just Breathe Easy For Stress, Anxiety And Anger Relief

Since the earliest times, breathing - the so-called “breath of life” - has been used not only for stress relief but also for healing...

Now breathing is finally winning recognition from modern medical science and is no longer seen as just an alternative health gimmick. In fact, the clinical evidence backing the use of breathing to treat a whole range of medical conditions is rapidly gaining in stature. Conditions that can benefit from therapeutic breathing are as diverse as asthma, tinnitus, acid reflux and sleep apnea.

But the most surprising benefits of breathing are found in a group of ailments related to stress and blood pressure. Hypertension, chronic stress and exhaustion, anxiety disorders and even anger can be relieved through the right type of breathing. Stress is the common factor that ties all these conditions together and relief of stress is fundamental to their treatment.

What is breathing’s role in this? The answer is clear: breathing slowly and deeply with a long, relaxed exhale for as little as 10 minutes a day leads to lasting reductions in both stress and blood pressure. This is not so amazing when you think about it. Since the dawn of mankind people have known the connections between breathing, circulation and the nervous system. “Breathe slowly and calmly,” is our instinctual advice to someone experiencing panic, rage or other intense emotion. Slowing down to take a deep breath produces an automatic reaction. Our heart rate, blood pressure and finally our emotions and stress levels follow the lead of our breathing.

Our physical responses are predictable. Let’s look at rage, for instance. When you feel such extreme anger your heart rate climbs steeply. Your blood pressure quickly follows, rising to the point where you may even turn red in the face. If nothing happens to reverse the situation you will probably “blow your top” as it is so aply described.

We all know the feeling… but what’s going on in you besides a raging circulatory system? What’s your respiration doing? The answer is... not much. You actually stop breathing in the usual sense of the word. Anger causes us to inhale in short, jerky breaths; sometimes we even hold our breath altogether. For all practical purposes we stop exhaling. The reaction to this is both the respiratory and circulatory systems locked together in a climb to destructively high levels of pressure.

With luck, a friend or even your own inner-voice will tell you about now: “Take a deep breath!" I say you’re lucky if this happens because all it takes is that one first, deep and deliberate breath to throw the whole reactionary process into reverse. One deep breath to relieve the air pressure and your blood pressure follows quickly… the danger point is passed safely.

The process is the same with all types of stress. There may be different degrees of reaction: for example, much stress burns slowly. With this you get similar physical reactions but spread over a longer period and without the sudden and extreme peaks. This is chronic stress and it is equally destructive. Research reveals that many of us under-breathe in response to chronic stress for hours on end (usually our working hours!). Breathing relieves this kind of stress as well; it takes 10 to 15 minutes of it a day to make a lasting difference in your life.

Research has also revealed the rate and other factors of breathing that produce the maximum benefits. The method developed from this work is called slow breathing. Unlike the temporary effect of simple relaxation programs promoted for stress management, the results of slow breathing are cumulative. This means they continue building over time to deliver lasting stress relief, something that has eluded most other attempts to reach this goal.

Finally, slow breathing tends to become ingrained in your everyday breathing over time. A method that brings not only lasting stress relief but one that can also head off stress in the moment it counts does wonders for feelings of self-control and confidence. These are results that no amount of expensive medications and endless talking therapies can boast of!