HypnoBirthing

How to use the Calm Breathing HypnoBirthing technique

In this post, Esther is going to talk about a breathing technique called Calm Breathing.

Esther Jones has been working as a Hypnobirthing practitioner since 2007.

This breath can be used during labour to achieve deep relaxation between surges, making sure that your body and mind are fully relaxed at the beginning of each surge.

This breath has the added benefit of being a wonderful tool for life in general.

You can use it any time you’re feeling some stress in your daily life.

If your mind is creating some anxiety and your body is responding with those familiar signs of tightening or tension, this intentional slow breath will be very calming.

The long breath out, in particular, calms down the fight or flight response of the body.

A sense of calm and connectedness

The brain interprets the long slow breath out as a sign that everything is okay and responds by holding off on the adrenaline, and slowing down other functions, such as your heart rate, bringing you a sense of calm and connectedness.

Calm Breathing

Practising this breath, and incorporate it into your daily life.

So, make sure you are comfortable, ideally with your head and shoulders supported.

Let your eyelids gently close and allow your mouth to be gently closed with the lips just touching.

You’re going to breathe in to the count of four, breathing in through your nose, and taking the air deep into your belly.

Imagine that you are breathing in relaxation.

Then you’ll exhale slowly, to the count of six, allowing your shoulders and chest to sink into the frame of your body as you breathe out.

Imagine that you are directing the energy of this breath down inside your body, all the way to the soles of your feet.

Feel any stress or tension melting away as you breathe it out.

You may even like to say to yourself, ‘Release, let go’, with each breath out.

It’s also helpful on the outbreath to imagine that you’re shifting your centre of consciousness from the busy head down into the body, to the chest and heart area.

So, you can even imagine yourself shutting down the neocortex as you breathe down and out.

Practice

Try a couple more of these breaths now!

Once you’ve got the hang of this breath, you can let go of the counting, and just follow your rhythm. Every time you practise, you’ll find that you relax more quickly and more easily.

Try a couple more of these breaths now.

Close your eyes gently, keeping the muscles in your face soft and relaxed. Mouth gently closed.

And, now breathing in 2 3 4, and out 2, 3 4, 5, 6.

Breathing in 2, 3, 4 and out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Do the other now in your own time, breathing in relaxation and breathing out any stress or tension in the body.

Remember to let your shoulders sink into the frame of your body as you direct the breath all the way down through your body to the soles of your feet.

And try imagining yourself switching off the neocortex.

Don’t worry if any thoughts or doubts are coming and going.

Just focus on how good this feels in the body.

On how easy it is to bring this peaceful sense of relaxation to the body.

Your breath between surges

Wonderful. So this is your breath between surges making sure that when the surge comes, it is greeted by a relaxed and confident mind and a relaxed and confident body.