One day as I was daydreaming in a field, Heather appeared right there on the little path. We struck a very interesting conversation, and although we had never met, it felt like I had known her for a very long time. Heather is a multi-gifted soul, skilled therapist and educator who founded Trust Your Breath along with her colleague Anne Shearer. The mission of Trust Your Breath is to reconnect people to their natural breath by teaching the correct way to breathe for better overall health and quality of life.
Heather has a peaceful and gentle presence with the keen perception of deep wisdom, and I am really honoured to have her as a guest for this blog post. I hope you love reading this interview and enjoy trying the correct breathing practice Heather generously shares below!
Heather, can you tell us about Correct Breathing and why it is important? What brought you to this discovery?
Breathing and in particular breathing correctly is important as it is the source of our health on all levels, our vitality and joy and our life.
It’s really about re-learning to breathe. A little baby and small children breathe better because they are more natural and closer to nature. Their breathing has not yet been upset by too much pressure. A wise lady called Karin Roon who wrote a book called ‘The New Way to Relax” said that a healthy baby is the perfect instructor in breaking and relaxation because the healthy baby uses its lungs and muscles correctly.
So
Give yourself 10 minutes. Find a quiet space or your bedroom.
Stretch out on the floor, put a little cushion or pillow under your head if you need. If there is no carpet on the floor see if you can find something soft to lie on. Make sure you are warm and comfortable. You can cover yourself with a blanket or duvet.
Find a heavyish book and place it on the lower half of your stomach. If you haven’t got a book place your hand there, and the other hand on your chest. As you breathe you’ll sense the book lifting as you expand your stomach area on the inbreathe, it gives you something to push against. Same with your hand on your chest. You are aiming for a nice big D shape on the inhale.
If you need to, blow your nose before you start to clear your nostrils.
Make sure your mouth is closed as we are only meant to use the nose for breathing in and out.
Breathe down the nose as far as you can to empty out the old stale air.
Breathe up the nose as far as you can. Notice that your stomach and your chest will expand as your lungs fill up with air, providing that you are filling the lungs correctly.
Do this five times only i.e. take five correct breaths to begin with.
You can do this twice a day at a time that suits you. It could be when you get up and before you go to bed at night.
Try this for about a week and if it feels right you can then increase the number of breaths to ten at a time.
In another week you can increase the number of breaths to 15 and eventually you will be ready to raise the number to 20
After a few weeks
You will probably find that you want to breathe correctly like this a lot of the time, and eventually it will become a habit as once again it comes naturally to you sitting, standing, walking, waiting for the bus or train ………….
A whole combination of circumstances brought me to breathing: as a child I’d had sinus problems, as an adult low blood pressure. I also suffered from stress and anxiety. It was a moment of good fortune when I met Anne Shearer who was setting up a centre in the middle of Glasgow which people could come to to learn about breathing.
2. I love to think that with every breath we get a fresh chance to start again, re-invent ourselves and also get to know who we really are. What do you think ?
Yes agree, breathing correctly is a way of connecting with the self, of giving ourselves space to develop and grow, to manifest who we are out in the world and thus to draw to us all that is waiting for us in the world.
A gradual approach to re-learning to breathe correctly as outlined above is one of the best ways to do it. During times of transition it is good to be gentle with yourself very much like a flower opening its petals. To let it happen naturally with your breathing.
3. What are your favourite ways to care for yourself when you feel challenged?
I like to use my breathing when I feel challenged. Caring for the self is about giving oneself the space needed to rest, relax and heal. I also have a bottle of Bach’s Rescue Remedy to hand to deal with the shock and trauma that may come with challenges. We need to remember that we are all sensitive beings who carry emotional patterning from the past within us. Any event can trigger and touch upon these patterns causing us to react to any given situation. Rescue Remedy works on our subtle levels, reducing the impact of unexpected shocks and challenges.
4. How significant are nature and creativity to you?
Our deepest need is to re-connect with nature and what is natural so I rate my connection with nature as very important for me. I love being out in nature and am fortunate to live in a place with a very natural setting.
Creativity comes hand in hand with nature who is so very creative and never duplicates herself. Every leaf, blade of grass, grain of sand is totally unique. We are also quite unique as individuals.
Developing our creative expression enables us to be who we truly are in the world and draw to us our true needs, dreams and desires. We are in the world to grow our souls and to develop who we truly are.
5. Can you pass on the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Breathe and take the time to rest. ‘A field that is well rested gives a beautiful crop’.
6. What are your wishes for the world and its inhabitants?
I believe that we all need to re-learn to breathe correctly. It’s the only way we and the planet can survive.
7. How do you feel we can bring about the vision we have for our lives and the world ?
The earth is our home and everything we have comes from nature. Re-learning how to breathe correctly, making friends with ourselves and nature and caring for the earth. We cannot survive without nature’s harmony.
Trust Your Breath is a charity dedicated to the teaching of correct breathing and the relief of stress and anxiety in all of its forms. We have a website with lots of resources and information on Correct Breathing. Please visit. www.trustyourbreath.org.uk.