Breathing to unwind and release stress

There is a healing tool as old as humanity that we seemed to have forgotten. Our breath. We don’t think about it often as it happens naturally and automatically but by applying breath awareness and breath practices into your daily life, you can unwind naturally and release tension and stress from both mind and body. 

Gaining breath awareness

Gaining breath awareness is the first and most accessible step to learn to work with your breath. It can be as simple as creating small daily moments to notice how you’re breathing. Maybe in the beginning you would like to set a timer every hour or a couple of times a day with the notification ‘breath awareness’. Simply become aware of the way you’re breathing without judging or changing it. 

Are you breathing through your nose or mouth or both? Are you holding your breath after inhalation or exhalation? Do you breathe mostly in your chest area or diaphragm or belly? Are you clenching your jaw or is there facial tension? Can you also notice your breath in the side of your body? 

Now that you are more aware of your breath, we can do a simple yet effective breathing practice to reduce stress and tension in your mind and body. Please don’t do this breath practice if you’re suffering from anxiety, panic attacks or ptsd. 

Breathing practice to unwind and release stress and tension

Sit down in a comfortable shape. Preferably with your spine elongated and your feet on the ground. Relax your arms next to your body and place your hands on your legs or in your lap. Close your eyes if you want to. Start to bring your awareness to your breath. Follow your breath just as it is. 

When you’re ready, you’re welcome to start to gently elongate your exhalation. See if you can breathe in for 3 counts and out for 5 or 6 counts. If you want you can also breathe in for 4 counts and out for 8 counts. Most important is that your exhalation is longer than your inhalation. If accessible, breathe as much as you can from the belly and diaphragm and as little as possible from the chest. You can do this for as long as you want but start with 3 times and gradually build up to 10-20 of these breaths. 

Tip: sometimes it helps to place your hands on your belly. 

Why breath matters

In real life there are many factors outside our control, but the breath isn’t one of them. Our breath is actually one of the most easy and accessible tools we have to control levels of stress and tension in our body. There is a famous quote from a yogi that says: 

‘If you can control your breath, you can control your mind. And if you can control your mind, you can control your life.’

Oftentimes we don’t realise that our emotional state is controlled by the way we breathe. When our breath is shallow, our emotions can not flow easily through as and as a result they create blockages (emotion = energy in motion). When our breath is like a wave, coming and going, effortlessly, our emotions can flow with them. Coming and going, without attachment. 

The more you learn to work with your breath, the less reactive and the more reactive and receptive you become. Next time when someone says something that triggers you, take a couple of deep belly breaths first before you respond. 

How Orofacial Myology can contribute

Orofacial myology (OFM), or myofunctional therapy, is a specialized area of therapy that focuses on the muscles of the face and mouth, including their impact on breathing. Healthy OFM functions are crucial for proper breathing, swallowing, and speech, and can be affected by issues like mouth breathing or improper tongue posture. OFM aims to restore optimal oral and facial muscle function through targeted exercises and techniques. 

Mouth breathing is a serious condition that we must not underestimate. Many people nowadays are breathing through their mouth and hold a lot of tension in their jaw and neck. An Orofacial Myologist studies the oral and facial muscles to relate health conditions to any dispositions of the mouth and face. Orofacial Myology can help with mouth breathing, difficulty speaking and swallowing, deep disturbances, sleep apnea, eating problems and more. 

If you are not sure if the position of your tongue, mouth, jaw and facial muscles are correct, it might be worth it to visit an Orofacial Myologist. We offer Orofacial Myology consultations and treatments based on your condition and goals. Feel free to have a look on our website and to book your first Orofacial Myology consult. It’s never too late to learn to breathe (well)! =D

More information about Orofacial Myology please!

This blogpost is written by Jeanine, the previous receptionist at InSync. <3