How Square Breathing Qi Gong stills the mind and calms the emotions.
When we go through times of uncertainty such as these, our mind can take us in many directions. When we are faced with new challenges and circumstances unfamiliar to us, our mind goes into overdrive as a way to keep us safe and protect us from harm or illness. This is a normal reaction we face and can help us to move in the right direction. It is when the mind goes so far in one direction that it becomes challenging to bring it back to a restful state. So, what can we do about it?
There are many things we can do to change our state of mind… go for a walk, a run, a swim, a bike ride, do yoga or practice Tai Chi. Whatever you decide to do will change your focus, your physiology and how you perceive your current situation. How does this work?
Changing how you use your body works because it changes your Breath. How we breathe determines our state of relaxation. When we get stressed, we may hold our breath or our breath becomes shallow, both of which trigger the stress response in our bodies. When we consciously change our breath, we can change how our body responds to stress. So, by moving our bodies we change our breath, allowing us to relax. But maybe we can’t just go for a walk because we have children or other responsibilities or for reasons beyond our control, we are forced to stay home… in these situations, we can change our breath with breathing techniques.
Breathing techniques such as pranayama and qi gong have been practiced since antiquity to build and circulate energy throughout the body to increase our health. A simple but very effective breathing technique is called Square Breathing. The square is a symbol of stability and balance. This practice helps balance our thoughts and emotions and bring them back into harmony. Before we begin, we must become aware of our breath to create a baseline. Begin to observe your breath and notice if it is shallow, choppy, short or tense. Next, without force, just allow your breath to grow longer, smoother and deeper just by setting the intention. Once your breath is longer, smoother and deeper; more relaxed, then we can begin Square Breathing.
Square Breathing consists of breaking the breath down into 4 parts and 4 counts. Starting on the inhale, count for 4 seconds, let the breath naturally come in through the nose. Then, pause the breath for 4 seconds. Slowly exhale, allowing the breath to release through the nostrils. Then, pause the breath for 4 seconds. If 4 seconds is too long in the beginning, let the count be 2-3 seconds and work your way up to 4 seconds. If you want to increase your lung capacity, you can extend the breath and the pauses to 5 or 6 counts, working your way up to 8 counts. (Anything above 8 counts would be advanced). What is important is that your breath, your body and your mind remain relaxed throughout the practice. Once you become more comfortable with the practice, you may notice the breath along the square begins to transition into a smooth circular flow in other words, we circle the square.
How does Square Breathing benefit us? There are many physical benefits that come from this practice such, as increased lung capacity, more oxygen rich blood flowing through the body helping decrease risk of cancer and other chronic illnesses, and more movement of energy throughout the body to support the internal organs. But there are also psychological and emotional benefits from this practice that can help us in our day-to-day life. By pausing on the inhale, we calm the mind and our thoughts. By doing this, we retrain our overall response to stress. Instead of holding our breath and creating a fear or stress response, we begin to associate it with deep relaxation. When we pause on the exhale, we calm the emotions. Holding the breath becomes associated with stillness and peace instead of emotional upheaval. This practice reminds us to find neutral ground within ourselves, to embody calm within the storm and build our inner strength.
So, when we face times that challenge our safety, our health, our patience, remember to move your body, but also remember to breathe! Consider Square Breathing as a simple tool you can carry in your pocket and pull it out whenever you need to set aside your troubles, your worries, your problems, your need to find solutions and to calm your emotional reactions that can leave you feeling drained. With Square Breathing, you can find clarity, peace and stillness… empowering you to make better decisions not only for yourself, but your friends, loved ones and the greater community.
To everyone during this time, stay safe, stay calm, stay healthy.
