Persistent anxiety can be profoundly incapacitating, casting a shadow over various aspects of your life. However, by harnessing the power of the breath, you can reclaim control over your nervous system and dissolve stress and anxiety at will. In this article, I’ll explain how breath practices can quickly alleviate anxiety in the moment. Following that, I’ll share how Breathwork is the ultimate anti-anxiety tool because it’s efficacy goes beyond immediate relief; it tackles the root causes of anxiety and establishes a lasting inner calm.
Navigating Anxiety
Anxiety disorders, affecting nearly 20% of the population, stand as the most common form of mental illness.[1] This condition arises when the body’s instinctual fight, flight, freeze response is triggered. It is primarily fueled by concerns or fears related to potential threats, thoughts of people or things in the past that did threaten you, or anxiety about anxiety itself.
Unchecked, anxiety has the potential to unravel your mental and emotional wellbeing, disrupt interpersonal connections, and compromise your focus and productivity in the professional realm.[2],[3] Beyond the immediate psychological toll, anxiety can pave the way for detrimental health consequences such as heightened blood pressure, an elevated risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis, and depression. Additionally, it is associated with chronic inflammation, sleep disorders, diabetes, weight gain, and immune system dysregulation.[4],[5],[6]
The Breath: Your Ultimate Anti-Anxiety Ally
Studies highlight the remarkable efficacy of conscious breathing for alleviating stress and anxiety – both instantly and also over time. Their primary mechanism involves the stimulation of the vagus nerve, a substantial nerve originating in the brain and extending throughout the neck and torso.
Unveiling The Vagus Nerve
You can picture the vagus nerve as your body’s central expressway, transmitting crucial information between the brain, organs, and the entire body while governing your physiological responses during periods of relaxation and rest.[7] The vagus nerve emerges as a pivotal player in the mind-body connection, serving as a mediator between thoughts and emotions. Recent insights propose that ‘gut feelings’ about things, are orchestrated by the vagus nerve, prompting Christopher Bergland in Psychology Today to humorously suggest a shift from “trust your gut” to “trust your vagus nerve.”[8] But let’s refocus on anxiety…
The vagus nerve assumes a central role as the commander-in-chief of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS), the restorative counterpart to the Autonomic Nervous Systems’ “fight or flight” Sympathetic division. Breath practices, by activating the vagus nerve, pivot the emphasis from Sympathetic to Parasympathetic activation. This swift shift puts the brakes on the stress response, leading to reduced heart rate, lower blood pressure, bodily relaxation, and anxiety dissipation. And the impact is formidable—numerous studies show vagus nerve stimulation is either equally or more effective than medications in addressing depression and anxiety disorders, including conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD, and panic disorder.[9],[10],[11]
The vagus nerve essentially interprets your breath, relaying messages to the heart and brain based on its cues. Both deep diaphragmatic breathing and slow breathing act as directives for your brain and heart to ease into relaxation.[12],[13] Conversely, rapid, shallow breathing triggers the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), accelerating your heart rate and fostering stress and anxiety.[14] It’s worth noting that it’s the exhale (rather than the inhale) and slow breathing patterns that spark vagal activity, initiating the relaxation response.[15],[16] This explains why breath practices that emphasize extended exhales prove highly effective in diminishing stress and anxiety.
Harnessing the Breath as an Emergency Anti-Anxiety Tool
When tension or anxiety starts to take hold, recognize that your breath is your most potent ally. Engaging with it, deepening its rhythm, and deliberately slowing it down can swiftly activate your vagus nerve, initiating the Parasympathetic branch and ushering in a sense of inner calm in just one minute. Below I will share two powerful breathing techniques for reducing stress and anxiety in the moment:
- 4-7-8 Breathing Technique:
- Inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
- Hold your breath for a count of seven.
- Exhale completely through your mouth to a count of eight, making a whooshing sound.
- This cycle constitutes one breath; repeat it for a total of four breaths initially, gradually increasing as you become more comfortable.
- This technique helps regulate breathing, promoting relaxation and calming the nervous system.
- Box Breathing (Square Breathing):
- Inhale through your nose for a count of four.
- Hold your breath for another count of four.
- Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of four.
- Pause and keep your lungs empty for another count of four.
- Repeat the cycle for several minutes, focusing on the rhythmic pattern.
- Box breathing helps enhance focus, reduce stress, and bring a sense of balance to your breath and mind.
Breathwork for Anxiety – A Powerful Long-Term Solution
Breathwork a dynamic practice characterized by continuous, circular breathing without pauses, serves as a transformative gateway to altered states of consciousness and profound healing. Engaging in regular Breathwork sessions can manifest a substantial reduction in stress and anxiety through various mechanisms, including:
- Circular breathing elevates your level of presence, anchoring you in the current moment, and when you are fully present in the moment, stress and anxiety can rarely exist.
- Engaging in breathwork serves as a catalyst for profound shifts in perspective. Establishing a consistent practice will unveil the realization that many of the stressors occupying your thoughts are, in truth, inconsequential in the grand tapestry of life. Ultimately, within the vast expanse of our existence, what holds genuine significance is the essence of love. This shift in perspective not only enhances your resilience but also nurtures a profound sense of equanimity in the face of life’s uncontrollable variables. By developing a more resilient mindset, you become less susceptible to external stressors, fortifying your mental and emotional well-being.
- Breathwork for anxiety is a potent tool because it provides the ideal platform for processing and releasing stored traumas within the body’s cellular memory. This liberates traumatized individuals from the clutches of the sympathetic “fight, flight, or freeze” response. As the breath penetrates physical and emotional constriction, it acts as a transformative force, gently dismantling patterns contributing to the body’s stress response. In this journey of liberation, individuals experience greater emotional freedom and resilience, confronting and releasing the imprints of past traumas on both physiological and psychological levels. As the grip of the stress response loosens, breathwork becomes a pathway to empowerment, fostering a harmonious and balanced existence.
- Breathwork bridges the gap between mind and body, reestablishing a connection often severed in early stages of life. A regular practice leads to (re)embodiment, a vital process because our thoughts often generate anxiety and divert our focus from finding solutions. By delving into our feelings and attuning to the body’s messages, we cultivate emotional grounding, opening ourselves to solutions and possibilities, and becoming more resilient against waves of fear and anxiety.
- A regular Breathwork for anxiety practice will tone your vagus nerve. This practice facilitates the equilibrium of your Autonomic Nervous System, guiding it to reset towards Parasympathetic dominance. Consequently, it reduces the frequency of Sympathetic activation, promoting a more sustained state of calm and resiliency against external disturbances.
Breathwork for Anxiety, Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, while persistent anxiety may cast a shadow over various aspects of life, the breath emerges as a powerful and underutilized tool for dispelling stress and anxiety. From immediate relief to addressing the root causes, incorporating breath practices and Breathwork into your routine not only diminishes anxiety in the moment but establishes a foundation for profound healing and lasting tranquility.
If you would like to utilize the power of breathwork for anxiety, I would be happy to hold space for you! Please reach out here to find out about upcoming breathwork sessions in Toronto, Whitby, Sayulita, Bucerias, La Cruz, or Austin, or too book an online or in-person private session.
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Breathwork for Anxiety Article References:
[1] https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics#
[2] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342589861_Effects_of_Anxiety_on_Health_and_Well-being_of_the_Individuals
[3] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11097-018-9559-x
[4] https://www.ndss.com.au/about-diabetes/resources/find-a-resource/diabetes-and-anxiety-fact-sheet/
[5] https://www.nature.com/articles/tp201327
[6] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11097-018-9559-x
[7] https://www.livescience.com/vagus-nerve.html
[8] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201302/the-neurobiology-grace-under-pressure
[9] https://www.livescience.com/vagus-nerve.html
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6189422/
[11] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16131297/
[12] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20954960/
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709795/
[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709795/
[15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6189422/
[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4842319/