by Dr. Jake Insler Psy. D., M.A.
Performance and Sports Psychology Specialist
www.southbaychildandfamilytherapy.com
The Breath
Each month I will provide a mental approach to create more awareness and calm in your path toward insight and wisdom in becoming the best version of yourself. This month we will start with the breath. We have the ability to learn how to intentionally focus our mind on our breath in order to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The PNS is the system in our body responsible for calming us down and allowing an increase in the ability to store energy. This activation is achieved by taking five slow, controlled deep breaths. Each breath involves a slow inhale through the nostrils and a slow exhale through the mouth, where the exhale is longer than the inhale. So if you breathe in through your nose for three seconds, you would breathe out through your mouth for four seconds. By activating the PNS through the mind/body practice of breathing (deliberate focus/slow breathing), we can train our brain to respond to ourselves and not to what is going on around us. This does take practice, so give it a try ASAP!