Ep. 24: The Power of Your Breath: Calm Your Nervous System with this Simple Knowledge

Every time we inhale, our sympathetic - or fight-or-flight - nervous system gets switches on. Each time we exhale, our parasympathetic - or rest-and-relax - nervous system turns on. A healthy balance of both is vital to our wellbeing (even if the sympathetic nervous system has received some bad rep recently). A problem, however, can occur when we become stuck in fight-or-flight. This is what we’ll explore today and more. By understanding the mechanisms behind our inhales and exhales, we can reduce stress, heal chronic conditions and feel peaceful. 🕊️


Intuitively Being You is a podcast about all things intuition - connecting with your inner self, cultivating self-love, supporting your nervous system on the healing journey, self-trust, self-care, personal growth, spirituality and sooo much more. I break down everything you need to know to find your inner guide, get clear on who you are and follow your intuition to create deep fulfilment from within.


Every time we inhale, our sympathetic - or fight-or-flight - nervous system gets switches on. Each time we exhale, our parasympathetic - or rest-and-relax - nervous system turns on. A healthy balance of both is vital to our wellbeing (even if the sympathetic nervous system has received some bad rep recently). A problem, however, can occur when we become stuck in fight-or-flight. Here, our body’s stress response remains even if there is no imminent danger. We can’t relax, we struggle to feel safe, and our mind and muscles feel racing… 🧠

This is what we’ll explore today and more. What many of us don’t know is how, by changing our breathing, we can help the body to come out of fight-or-flight and into its rest-and-relax. By understanding the mechanisms behind our inhales and exhales, we can reduce stress, heal chronic conditions and feel peaceful. 🕊️

I cover:

  • The mechanisms behind breathing

  • How the nervous system works, and its impact on our mind and body

  • The difference between fight-or-flight and rest-and-relax/ rest-and-digest

  • The power of using our diaphragm correctly

  • The impact of our vagus nerve (the longest nerve in our body and linked to many functions, including digestion)

  • How changing our breathing allows us to relax and reduce stress

  • An easy breathing technique that you can use anywhere, at any time

Increased heart rate variability (HRV)

HRV is a measure of the time variation between each of our heartbeats. In other words, it measures the range of our heartbeats’ timing difference. An average is taken as each beat isn’t exactly the same length of time after another. The reason for this is the involuntary (autonomic) nervous system’s two branches: the parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic (SNS) nervous systems.* Both simultaneously send signals to your heart, so your heart is constantly being instructed to slow down by the PNS and to speed up by the SNS, causing the fluctuations. A higher HRV means your body is responsive to both branches and that your nervous system is more balanced. A lower HRV suggests one branch is dominating over the other, which can be good if you want a fast heartbeat when running, but not so good if this is a constant state, such as in times of chronic stress. A higher HRV essentially means that your body is more adaptable and is, in turn, linked to less stress, improved mood and memory, and many physical health benefits.

*The voluntary, or somatic, nervous system is the other part of the nervous system and is the part that we can control, such as moving our arms.

Links:

A Guide to Your Nervous System & 6 Tips for Regulation

Pranayama (Breathwork) for Reducing Stress - 7 Simple Techniques to Try at Home - Yoga Philosophy Basics: Part 4


If there is anything you’d like me to cover, or any area you want more guidance on, please reach out via my Contact Me page! xx

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Dessi xx

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Ep. 25: Accepting stillness, advice for when you don’t know where to go and where I've been | A love letter to whoever needs this

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Ep. 23: How to follow your intuition: A simple 3-step process