Part 1:
Breath works for us, with us and can also be the block that is holding us back.
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Breathing is derived from our autonomic nervous system – it happens subconsciously and continues even when we sleep.
Our respiratory system is also affected by our nervous system in that when we are relaxed we take long, deep breaths and when we are stressed we take short shallow breaths.
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What if your body is in chronic pain? Our nervous system is ramped up and so is the frequency and shortness of our breath. Luckily, we can control our breathing!
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Taking time to breathe through your belly, slow and deep or use a form of block breathing (breathe in for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds). This simple exercise can decrease your perceived level of pain and down regulate your nervous system back to a state of rest where your body can recuperate and heal.
Author: Adriana Renton, FST