Well-being begins and ends with the breath. That may sound esoteric to some, but it is the driving force behind how your parasympathetic nervous system works to relax you after a period of stress. Relaxed, deep breathing with a focus on an extended and soft exhalation will help you regain control of what is known as the Deep Front Myofascial Meridian (I also refer to is as the fight, flight line, the pregnancy line, and the skeleton stabilizer line) in which the diaphragm plays a major role in regulating. Disfunction in this structural foundation of the body can lead to the secondary breathing muscles in the neck get turned into the primary breathers, leading to and/or caused by: chronic stress, chronic pain, anxiety, PTSD, head/neck injuries, digestive issues, carpal tunnel, headaches, migraines, and more. When the diaphragm gets stuck the brain gets worried and sends all sorts of signals and hormones out to try to win the real or perceived battle for survival.

Try this breathing exercise to help regain control of your natural breathing cycle.

• Lay on the floor with your knees bent and hip width apart. Tuck the tail bone slightly moving it away from your head to flatten the lower back then send it up toward you to arch the low back. Now find the middle space and relax into that position.
• Next imagine, but don’t actually move, that someone has placed a flower on both shoulders from behind and to smell them you would need to turn your head to the side with your inhale, and return to center on the exhale. Imagine “smelling” the flower on each shoulder with your inhale, returning to center on your exhale.  Don’t try to change anything, just focus on the visualization of smelling the flower, first on one side, then on the other side, resting in the center after each exhale brings your awareness back to neutral.
• After a few breaths stop the visualization and just follow your natural breath in and out, not forcing anything just breathing in to the first natural stopping point, pausing briefly and letting the breath fall back out as your diaphragm relaxes and pushes the air out. If you are able to get here and it feels good, revel it the simplistic beauty of your breath and enjoy this practice to help recenter yourself, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
• If this practice is hard, makes you uncomfortable, you notice that one side isn’t working no matter how hard you try, or causes nausea, pain, or panic then you might need some help to restore balance and return the breath to its natural rhythm. Robin and/or Jennifer can help with bodywork techniques at Halcyon House or schedule an acupuncture session with Jakkie for a Traditional Chinese Medicine approach to rebalance the lungs and breath.