Meditation Articles Series

In last week’s blog I wrote about attachment as the cause of suffering. At the end of the blog there were some helpful hints to calm and centre yourself. If you have “an attachment issue” dominating your life right now, here’s something else to help you, slow down your breathing.

How does Slowing your Breath Help?

Slow deep breaths will help take you out of suffering because by flooding your cells with more oxygen you stop breathing shallowly and halt the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. As a result your heart rate slows, and your emotions switch from toxifying your body into soothing your body leaving you feeling calm and tranquil.

How to Slow Your Breathing

It’s simple to slow your rate of breathing. All you have to do is close your mouth, press the top of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, and inhale through your nostrils, and exhale through your nostrils. It will sound a bit like you’re snoring. I find this sound very soothing. It will also help you to focus on the breath so your mental agitation will also begin to dissolve after a few of these deep breaths.

The Benefits

Slowing your breath will relax and calm you and it works! Your muscles soften and you no longer have that over adrenalized feeling of ‘fight or flight’. You begin to feel positive emotions. As you do you will recognize these emotions as joy, love, compassion, kindness and even greater confidence in yourself.