Most of us don’t breathe naturally.  In natural breathing the solar plexus expands on the inhale and contracts on the exhale.  Most people actually do the opposite, which then increases – rather than releases – the emotional tension, which when allowed to build up, lowers our immunity and renders us more vulnerable to illness!

Why don’t we automatically breathe in the natural way then?

As babies we did breathe naturally.  As children we then learned that shallow breathing appeared to reduce the feelings of emotional pain. Consequently we adopted this manner of breathing as a protective mechanism, whenever we were upset, hurt, anxious, stressed etc.  These emotions do not of course ‘go away’. Instead they accumulate in the form of tension, in the solar plexus, and the subsequent stress results in dis-ease - causing all sorts of physical ailments such as asthma and ulcers.  Long term shallow breathing also depletes our intake of oxygen, which can result in anxiety and a compromised immune system. – Think about it – that oxygen needs to reach every part of your body! 

Stress

Stress is basically the inability to cope with pressure and we all perceive pressure differently. We each have varying limits as to how much pressure we can cope with before experiencing stress. However we do need some pressure in our lives otherwise there would be no challenges for us to face and ultimately no experiences to enjoy. People who have a good degree of self-awareness and who know what it is that they want from their life are more able to tolerate any pressure. Total absence of pressure however, can also result in stress due to the consequential feelings of boredom and general lack of inspiration.

Our bodies have surrounding them, an electro magnetic field, which if out of balance causes stress to be experienced in the physical body. This can then manifest as physical illness. The mind is a very powerful tool in balancing this field of energy and stress can actually be avoided with positive thinking. In order to promote positive thinking and to enable the mind to think clearly we need to first of all empty our minds and quiten our egos. An excellent way to do this is through meditation and visualisation. Yoga and breath work are also of value in releasing pressures from both mind and body. Another good way to deal with stress is exercise. During periods of exercise, pleasure giving hormones such as Endomorphins are produced due to the increase in oxygen supply to the brain. In addition to lifting mood, Endomorphins are natural pain killers.

There are several ways that stress can manifest, including;