Conscious Breathing Meditation

Conscious Breathing Meditation involves directing awareness to the breath and developing habits that improve respiration. Conscious breathing can aid in stress reduction and improve respiratory conditions. 

Conscious Breathing has been shown to reduce stress and boost your immune system. For many centuries yogis have used breath control, or pranayama, to promote concentration and improve vitality. Buddha advocated breath-meditation as a way to reach enlightenment. Science has only recently begun to study and prove some breathing practices are beneficial. Studies have found, for example, that breathing practices can help reduce symptoms associated with anxiety, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. One theory is that certain types of consciously-controlled breathing can change the response of the body’s autonomic nervous system, which controls unconscious processes such as heart rate and digestion as well as the body’s stress response. 

It is believed that, if you consciously changing the way you breathe, a signal is sent to the brain to adjust the parasympathetic branch of the nervous system. This can slow heart rate, lower your blood pressure, improve your digestion and promote feelings of calm. When you take slow, steady breaths, your brain gets the message that all is well and activates the parasympathetic response. When you take shallow rapid breaths or hold your breath, the sympathetic response is activated and your body receives a rush of stress hormones.