Calm Your Nervous System: The Role of Breath in Feeling Safe

Understanding our nervous system was a life changer for me. The more I began to experience the benefits of breathwork, the more I wanted to gain insight into how manipulating our breath could help us regulate our Autonomic Nervous System. And you are about to read why.

Before going into breathwork, let's take a quick look at our ANS.

Did you know our ANS controls many functions without us even thinking about it?

As its name spells it out, our Autonomic Nervous System is in charge of all automated functions in our body. Our heart rate, respiration, digestion, blood pressure, temperature regulation, bladder function, pupillary response, and sexual arousal, to name a few, are all automatically controlled by our ANS. Without our ANS, we wouldn't be able to function. Imagine having to consciously control all our automated functions on top of everything else we already do at a conscious level!

Our ANS is also responsible for keeping us safe, activating our defense systems when a threat is perceived.

We ought to be very thankful for having all those things done for us. One way can thank our ANS by helping it stay balanced and perform its functions properly and when appropriate.

The Two Main Branches of our ANS

There are two main branches of our ANS: The Sympathetic Nervous System, or SNS, also known as the fight-or-flight system, and the Parasympathetic Nervous System, or PNS, the rest-and-restore system.

The SNS- The sympathetic branch of our nervous system activates when we perceive danger. If we are in danger, we want our SNS to kick in. Why? Because it will prepare our bodies to respond to that situation: to fight or flight. In Dr. Stephen Porges's words, this is what happens:

• Our heart rate speeds up, allowing us to run or fight.

• Our pain tolerance goes up, making it easier to stand our ground against an adversary.

• Our facial affect goes flat.

• Our middle-ear muscles are disengaged, making it easier to hear extremely low-frequency sounds associated with danger and predators.

So, in a matter of seconds, we can decide the best course of action and act upon it with our bodies in full-action mode. Our sympathetic state is here to save our lives.

On the other hand, the PNS - The parasympathetic nervous system, is the state we are in when we feel safe. In this state, we relax, restore, and are able to socialize:

• Our heart rate slows, allowing us to sit or stand still.

• Saliva and digestive systems are stimulated to help process food.

• Facial muscles are activated so we can better convey emotional nuance through our face.

• We have increased vocal

prosody (that is, a more sing-songy and less monotone way of speaking) and eye contact.

• Our middle-ear muscles shift position to better hear the sounds of the human voice.

You could say it is our natural state, or at least it should be. In this state our bodies achieve a state called homeostasis, in which all of our systems function at an optimal level, healing, restoring, digesting, absorbing nutrients, defending us from threats we are unaware of, etc.

You can start to see how both branches are vital for our survival.

The Role of the Vagus Nerve in Feeling Safe

Have you ever wondered how the messages from your brain reach your body?

We can thank the vagus nerve.

The following extract is from "The Polyvagal Theory" by Dr. Stephen Porges:

The vagus nerve is a binding bundle of fibers that weaves its way through almost the entire

body. It serves as a shared connection that allows the autonomic nervous system to exist as a cohesive entity.

Feel safe? The vagus nerve spreads the good news from our brainstem and down throughout our entire body so that our heart, lungs, and all the rest of our organs respond appropriately.

Feel threatened? The vagus acts as a signal fire on top of a mountain, sending the message from our brainstem to the rest of our body and giving permission to our neural circuits of defense to take control.

If our bodies are an orchestra that consists of different organs and systems, the vagus is the conductor, raising the baton so they can all join together into a shared symphony.

The vagus doesn’t just serve as a passive messenger; it also acts as a braking mechanism that slows us down and enables us to feel calm.

Certain breathing exercises calm us down because they directly send signals through the vagus to slow our heart rate. Experiences such as singing, laughing, and playing music also trigger the vagus, making us feel safe.

The Issue of Chronic Stress

The issue for the vast majority of us is that we spend way too much time in a sympathetic state of fight-or-flight, constantly feeling threatened; in other words, not feeling safe. We can call this chronic stress or anxiety. It is truly an imbalance in our ANS. 

According to the American Psychological Association’s 2022 Stress in America survey, 77% of Americans report experiencing stress that affects their physical health, and 73% report that stress affects their mental health.

Stress in small amounts is good; it keeps us motivated and alert. When we exercise, for instance, we are not totally relaxed; we are putting our bodies and minds under certain stress that is actually beneficial for us. When we are done exercising, our bodies slowly return to a state of relaxation and restoration, and we feel even better than before because we release all sorts of feel-good hormones in the process!

Chronic stress is a different story. Our sympathetic nervous system, fight-or-flight, is only meant to be activated on occasion and for short periods of time.

I read this quote the other day, and it made so much sense: Stress starts as dis-ease and ends up as disease. Leon VanderPol, A Shift in Being.

If the cycle of activation-action-back to safety is not completed, we remain in an activated stressed state where there’s no escape or closure. That is also why exercising, like breathing, can be so relaxing. Once we are done, we return to our natural rhythms and we close the cycle. Our bodies feel safe again.

The same type of release can be achieved with dynamic breathing practices followed by breath holds or cold plunges. We put our bodies under controlled, voluntary stress and then let them rest and return to their natural state.

Why, then, are we constantly unconsciously activating our fight-and-flight responses? The answer is simple: We don't feel safe. Whether the threat is real or perceived, our bodies don't care; they react to it!

Anxiety is the constant feeling that something's not right, either now or in the future. Our ANS reacts the same way if we are worried about paying the bills, having an uncomfortable conversation, or about someone or something actually following us and threatening our safety.

What happens?

We start breathing more shallowly and rapidly.

Can you recall a time when you felt overly stressed or anxious?

Where do you generally feel anxiety in your body?

That's right in your heart or the pit of your stomach.

Did you know the heart is connected to the diaphragm, the muscle supporting our lungs? The faster we breathe, the faster our heart rate goes.

Of course, the opposite is true: the more deeply and slowly we breathe, the slower our heart starts to beat.

And this is where the breath comes in.

Breath is the only major automated function that we can manipulate at will. We can't control our digestion, sweating, hair growth, immune system, etc., but we can control our breath, which makes it very special. I believe breath is one of humanity's most precious gifts, and you will see why.

Remember the danger alerts system that gets activated when we perceive danger? We see or hear something that scares us. We start breathing more rapidly; we can feel our hearts pumping in our chests. Our breath becomes shallow. This is why: The upper lobes of our lungs are covered by nerves that activate our SNS, each breath acting as an emergency call; the higher the number of calls, the bigger the emergency, the more our bodies prepare to respond.

If the threat is real, that's great; you have the capacity to respond appropriately to this situation!

But what happens if it isn't? If it's all in your mind. If you don't even know why you are feeling stressed or anxious? This is when altering our breath comes in as a gift. Ideally, at the first sign of anxiety, we can remind ourselves that it is time for a pause, time to take a breather. What we do is we start breathing more deeply and slowly. Counting our breaths can be very helpful. We breathe in deeply, and we elongate our exhales. 

One effective technique is the 4-7-8 Breath:

• Inhale for a count of four.

• Hold the breath for a count of seven.

• Exhale slowly and completely for a count of eight.

You can also try breathing to a 1:2 ratio, such as inhaling for four counts and exhaling for eight counts.

Try it now. Breathe in this way for a couple of minutes until you start feeling calmer.

Magic, right?

Anxiety can be very hard to control with our mere will since the threat is often perceived, meaning there's really nothing we can do about it in the present moment; it often has no end, and our bodies never feel like we made it back to safety. We need to speak the same language as our bodies to let them know we are safe; this is how manipulating our breath comes in as a gift.

What's the science behind this? Just as our upper lobes are covered with nerves connected to our sympathetic nervous system, our lower lobes are covered with nerves connected to our parasympathetic nervous system. As we breathe more deeply, we start activating our rest-and-restore system. Our body thinks something like this: Oh! If we are breathing more slowly now, it must mean there are no more threats, we are safe now, and we are back to normal! Phew!

Remember the connection between our heart and our diaphragm, too. The deeper we breathe, the more slowly our diaphragm moves, slowing our heart rate and calming us down.

This is the magic our breath can have over our ANS!

It's Not All Black and White

Our ANS is not all black and white; we can respond differently to threats. We can freeze, for example, which happens more often than we think, generally when we perceive the threat as a life-or-death situation or when we subconsciously decide that fighting or flighting is not an option.

Gazelles do this. When the lioness is too close for them to escape, they go limp, which, interestingly, sometimes saves their lives. After they get caught, the lioness, thinking the gazelle is dead and can't run away, lays it down, and that's when the gazelle may actually have a chance to escape.

We have developed this intricate system as a part of our evolution. Unfortunately, it is often ignored or misunderstood. We are very quick to judge or think we would have reacted a certain way if we were in an x or y situation, often judging the victim or even doubting their credibility because they went into a freeze or shutdown state. 

The reality is we never know how our bodies will react to any situation, and we should be more empathetic and forgiving when we or others do not "take action" the way we think it's appropriate.

There are also several combinations or hybrid states we can experience in which our freeze state is actually necessary:

Three Circuits, Several States:

As you can see, our Automated Nervous System is much more complex than fight-or-flight or rest-and-restore, and we need all of its states to function properly.

If you wish to delve deeply into the many aspects of our nervous system, how we move from one state to another, and how our breath directly affects our state of being, I highly recommend the book  The Polyvagal Theory by Seth and Stephen Porges. For now, it is important to acknowledge that our nervous system is complex but that, nevertheless, we can, under normal circumstances, influence our inner state and use our breath to restore balance to our bodies and give our sympathetic nervous systems a much-deserved break.

Stress is not our natural state, and it is within our power and responsibility to manage our state of being. We owe it to ourselves, to our bodies, and to those around us. Stress begets more stress. Unfortunately, it's highly contagious. But here's the good news: so are laughter, happiness, and relaxation. Which energy do you choose to live with and bring into the world?

We may not be able to control every aspect of our lives. Still, we can choose to navigate stressful situations with grace and acceptance, enhancing our mental and emotional well-being.

If you're eager to experience the profound benefits of breathwork firsthand, I invite you to join our vibrant community. Every month, I host free community calls where we practice breathwork and support each other's journeys to well-being. It's a wonderful opportunity to experience the calming power of breathwork in a supportive group setting.

For a more personalized experience, consider booking a private session with me. Together, we can tailor a breathwork practice that meets your unique needs and helps you achieve a balanced, harmonious state of mind and body.

To sum up, the key to helping our nervous system regulate and stay balanced in this world packed with perceived and real threats is to stay attuned to your body’s natural rhythms and responses. When you feel triggered, ask yourself: Is this threat real? Immediate? If it’s not, choose one of the many ways to recenter. To me, the easiest and most accessible is to work with your breath until you feel better. 

I hope you found this piece valuable and interesting. Remember to subscribe to keep receiving content like this.

Two books I highly recommend if you want to learn more about breath and our nervous system:

• The Polyvagal Theory by Seth and Stephen Porges

• Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor