Breathing Explorations

Week 21: Breathing Explorations

This week, I am offering some suggestions for an exploration of your own nervous system responses in your life, which will also come in handy when practicing labor breathing in the weeks to come before your baby's birth. 

 

There are 3 ‘practice’ assignments:

1. Observe ‘sleep breath’. Observe it in yourself, as you are falling asleep (if you can, right before you drift off). An easier way to observe it is in a loved one - your partner next to you in bed, or a child. Sleep breath has a short natural intake, with a longer releasing exhalation. 

 

Questions to ask yourself, as you remain curious:

• what is the rhythm here?

• Can I count to the rhythm?

• Is it consistent?

• Does my breath follow a similar pattern when I am falling asleep and sleeping? 

 

2. Observe what your breath does when you turn the shower to cold. Take a normal hot shower, and when you’re feeling rested and brave, switch the hot off at the end. No need to stay in for more than a second, you can turn it off whenever you want. (No, it is not harmful to pregnant women or their babies to be in cold water for a moment!) For this exercise, the point is not to do a cold plunge (though there are supposed health benefits to such, I don’t recommend starting this during pregnancy if you’ve never practiced before). If you are feeling nervous, try just putting your face into the water, instead of letting it hit your whole body.

 

What does your breath do?? I won’t tell you. We have a universal autonomic response to sudden cold. 

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3. How am I breathing when _________. This is a fun little game to play. In light of last week’s reflection on pace and rushing, try: How am I breathing when I am rushing? When you catch yourself going going going and try a PAUSE. This can be the world’s shortest meditation: stop, close your eyes, what is my breath like right now? That’s it. Just one breath. Again, no need to try to change it or do anything at all, just notice and observe. What about eating? driving? talking? relaxing?

 

Journal on what you find. This can be fascinating. It is useful to take notes, because your experience may change over time. And we tend to forget. 

 

While you have your journal out, write about what is bothering you. Write about your concerns. Write your heart out. 

 

And remember to notice and write down what you are grateful for. Is this becoming a regular practice? 

 

“When you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. 

When you focus on what you have, you get what you lack.” 

~Greg McKeown, author

 

Be well, and be you!

Anna