Diaphragm
Breathing and Relaxation
Response
We’re
going to practice a special type of breathing, not into your chest but
DEEP into your tummy or diaphragm which is below your chest. The
important thing here is that the out breath must be longer than the in
breath. That’s right the OUT breath is longer than the IN
breath. This will stimulate the part of your nervous system responsible
for relaxation. This is a basic law of biology so if you breathe in
this way then your body will have no choice but to relax.
I want you to really get the feeling of diaphragmatic breathing. It is
impossible to have a panic attack if you breathe this way. Most people
who experience panic attacks don’t know how to breathe
properly. Waiting until you have the attack is not a good idea, so
let’s just take a few moments and do it now. Lying on the
flow almost forces you to breathe in the proper way, so let’s
start off on the floor. Begin by lying on your back. Close your eyes
for a little while. Just become aware of your breathing. Place one hand
on your chest and one hand on your belly, between your belly button and
your ribs. Focus on allowing your belly to rise easily when inhaling
and fall when exhaling. HOLD YOUR CHEST STILL with your hand on your
chest. The objective is to breathe ALL THE TIME with your diaphragm and
not your chest. This is a slow relaxed process. There should be no
sense of effort. You’ll be breathing in to the count of
seven… and out to the count of eleven. Begin now; breath in
2...3...4...5...6...7 and out 2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...11.
Good, now continue this breathing throughout the rest of this section.
If at any time you feel dizzy or light-headed, stop the exercise and
give yourself a few minutes to rest, and then try again.
Are you feeling your diaphragm moving? If you are, just continue
breathing in to the count of seven and out to the count of eleven. If
you are not feeling your diaphragm moving with your breath,
let’s change positions. Get into the position of your
favorite four-legged animal, like a cat or a dog. In this position, the
chest tends to be locked in place, forcing the diaphragm to take over
the breathing task. Again, slow and easy, no effort.
Continue breathing. Once you have learned to breathe with your
diaphragm, you must practice, practice, practice. Starting with a few
breathes at first and then gradually working up to 15 minutes. The time
when you are doing your hypnosis would be a great time to practice your
deep breathing. Once you have learned the technique in one position,
practice in other positions and then during other situations, so that
you are eventually finding yourself breathing this way all the time.
Now, it may take your body a few minutes to respond.
Doing this regularly will cause your GENERAL OVERALL anxiety level to
come down. You may also find that you begin to breathe this way
AUTOMATICALLY if ever you feel anxious. Regular relaxation actually
starts to inhibit the production of stress hormones in the body so it
becomes harder and harder to panic.
