At any given time, the breath has an amazing capacity to respond to and support our changing needs immediately. When we hear soothing music, see someone we love or a beautiful landscape, our breathing responds by softening and deepening. If we hear sad or bad news, we are likely to hold our breath, or, when we’re in an awkward situation, whether emotionally or physically, we tend to tighten the breath.
Nurturing our ability to return the breath to its deep and natural flow after a challenging experience – for example, when the breath has quickened – is essential to creating healthy breathing. If the breath gets stuck in a particular pattern, it is no longer responsive and supportive to our varied life. Developing awareness of our breath helps to release our breathing patterns, so that we can breathe well again.
When we allow the breath to flow deeply and fully through
