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Breath and Balance: The Neuroscience of Calming Your Body and Mind
How to Regulate Our Nervous System Through Breathing
What if the key to better health, emotional resilience, and even creativity was something as simple as your breath? In this blog, we’ll explore how understanding your nervous system and practising intentional breathing can transform your well-being.
Feeling safe in our bodies is essential for healing, recovery, and growth. Yet, many of us overlook a crucial element in our health journeys: a regulated nervous system. Let’s dive deeper into the science behind our nervous system and discover how the simple act of breathing can empower us to feel balanced and in control.
The Nervous System: Our Body’s Command Center
Our nervous system has two main components:
-
Central Nervous System (CNS): This includes the brain and spinal cord. Think of it as the control centre, like in Pixar’s Inside Out, where memories, emotions, and beliefs are processed. The brain generates and receives signals that travel along the spinal cord, which acts as the highway connecting the CNS to the rest of the body.
-
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): A vast network of neurons extending from the spinal cord to every part of the body, the PNS ensures seamless communication between the control centre and the body.
The PNS itself splits into two branches:
-
Somatic Nervous System: Controls voluntary actions, like moving your hand.
-
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): Regulates involuntary actions, like your heartbeat or digestion.
The Balance Between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic States
The autonomic nervous system is further divided into:
-
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): Activates the “fight, flight, or freeze” response.
-
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): Governs the “rest and digest” state.
Picture these two systems at opposite ends of a bridge. When you’re fully in sympathetic mode, your body responds as if facing a life-threatening situation. Your heart races, blood pressure soars, and you may feel overwhelmed as if a lion is chasing you—even if it’s just a stressful email from your boss.
So how do we shift from a state of stress to one of calm? This is where top-down control comes in.
What Is Top-Down Control?
Top-down control is us taking control of our mind and body rather than them controlling us!
It's the ability of the brain to regulate the body’s responses to stress. It’s about training your nervous system to shift from chaos to calm, enabling you to respond to challenges with intention rather than reacting impulsively.
Think of top-down control like having a well-trained, flexible, and strong muscular system. Just as strength training allows your muscles to withstand force and recover quickly, a strong and adaptable nervous system helps you handle life’s stresses with resilience.
Why does this matter? Because a well-regulated nervous system doesn’t just help you feel calmer—it strengthens your physical health, sharpens your focus, and enhances your emotional resilience.
Breath: The Foundation of Regulation
The simplest and most powerful tool for regulating our nervous system is something we carry with us every moment of our lives: our breath.
At the base of your skull lies the vagus nerve, a key player in your autonomic nervous system. It’s responsible for regulating heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and even your immune system. By stimulating the vagus nerve through controlled breathing, we can activate the parasympathetic state, promoting calm, recovery, and healing.
Practical Breathing Techniques for Regulation
These techniques are simple yet powerful. Start with the one that feels most approachable, and build from there. Consistency is key to unlocking the benefits.
-
Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing): Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to rise, and exhale slowly through your mouth.
-
Box Breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, and hold for 4 counts. Repeat. If you feel comfortable, you can increase to 6-6-6-6.
-
Extended Exhalation: Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts and exhale through your nose for 6–8 counts. This technique is particularly effective for calming the nervous system.
Conclusion: The Power of Your Breath
Your nervous system is the cornerstone of your health and well-being, influencing everything from physical recovery to emotional resilience. And the foundation of this regulation lies in something as simple as your breath.
Breathing isn’t just a tool for staying alive; it’s a gateway to transformation. By strengthening the vagus nerve and practising intentional breathing, you can reclaim control over your body and mind, finding safety, balance, and strength.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed, pause. Take a deep breath. You’re giving your body the greatest gift of all—calm, healing, and a return to balance.
If this resonated with you and you’d like to dive deeper and experience our guided breathwork sessions, click here to explore our events calendar and find out more about Focus Flow.
What if the key to better health, emotional resilience, and even creativity was something as simple as your breath? In this blog, we’ll explore how understanding your nervous system and practising intentional breathing can transform your well-being.
Feeling safe in our bodies is essential for healing, recovery, and growth. Yet, many of us overlook a crucial element in our health journeys: a regulated nervous system. Let’s dive deeper into the science behind our nervous system and discover how the simple act of breathing can empower us to feel balanced and in control.
The Nervous System: Our Body’s Command Center
Our nervous system has two main components:
-
Central Nervous System (CNS): This includes the brain and spinal cord. Think of it as the control centre, like in Pixar’s Inside Out, where memories, emotions, and beliefs are processed. The brain generates and receives signals that travel along the spinal cord, which acts as the highway connecting the CNS to the rest of the body.
-
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): A vast network of neurons extending from the spinal cord to every part of the body, the PNS ensures seamless communication between the control centre and the body.
The PNS itself splits into two branches:
-
Somatic Nervous System: Controls voluntary actions, like moving your hand.
-
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): Regulates involuntary actions, like your heartbeat or digestion.
The Balance Between Sympathetic and Parasympathetic States
The autonomic nervous system is further divided into:
-
Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): Activates the “fight, flight, or freeze” response.
-
Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): Governs the “rest and digest” state.
Picture these two systems at opposite ends of a bridge. When you’re fully in sympathetic mode, your body responds as if facing a life-threatening situation. Your heart races, blood pressure soars, and you may feel overwhelmed as if a lion is chasing you—even if it’s just a stressful email from your boss.
So how do we shift from a state of stress to one of calm? This is where top-down control comes in.
What Is Top-Down Control?
Top-down control is us taking control of our mind and body rather than them controlling us!
It's the ability of the brain to regulate the body’s responses to stress. It’s about training your nervous system to shift from chaos to calm, enabling you to respond to challenges with intention rather than reacting impulsively.
Think of top-down control like having a well-trained, flexible, and strong muscular system. Just as strength training allows your muscles to withstand force and recover quickly, a strong and adaptable nervous system helps you handle life’s stresses with resilience.
Why does this matter? Because a well-regulated nervous system doesn’t just help you feel calmer—it strengthens your physical health, sharpens your focus, and enhances your emotional resilience.
Breath: The Foundation of Regulation
The simplest and most powerful tool for regulating our nervous system is something we carry with us every moment of our lives: our breath.
At the base of your skull lies the vagus nerve, a key player in your autonomic nervous system. It’s responsible for regulating heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, and even your immune system. By stimulating the vagus nerve through controlled breathing, we can activate the parasympathetic state, promoting calm, recovery, and healing.
Practical Breathing Techniques for Regulation
These techniques are simple yet powerful. Start with the one that feels most approachable, and build from there. Consistency is key to unlocking the benefits.
-
Diaphragmatic Breathing (Belly Breathing): Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to rise, and exhale slowly through your mouth.
-
Box Breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, and hold for 4 counts. Repeat. If you feel comfortable, you can increase to 6-6-6-6.
-
Extended Exhalation: Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts and exhale through your nose for 6–8 counts. This technique is particularly effective for calming the nervous system.
Conclusion: The Power of Your Breath
Your nervous system is the cornerstone of your health and well-being, influencing everything from physical recovery to emotional resilience. And the foundation of this regulation lies in something as simple as your breath.
Breathing isn’t just a tool for staying alive; it’s a gateway to transformation. By strengthening the vagus nerve and practising intentional breathing, you can reclaim control over your body and mind, finding safety, balance, and strength.
So the next time you feel overwhelmed, pause. Take a deep breath. You’re giving your body the greatest gift of all—calm, healing, and a return to balance.
If this resonated with you and you’d like to dive deeper and experience our guided breathwork sessions, click here to explore our events calendar and find out more about Focus Flow.
