Soothing Rhythm Breathing: Effective Breathing Exercise for Stress, Depression and Anxiety

The Soothing Rhythm Breathing technique is a calming practice that helps regulate your breath and promote relaxation. It is drawn from Compassion Focussed Therapy and the work of Professor Paul Gilbert, and forms part of a broader set Purposeful deep breathing exercises.

Scientific studies have shown that Purposeful deep breathing methods can help regulate our emotions, lower blood pressure, improve heart rate variability and calm the mind. When we are stressed, anxious, self-critical or angry, our breathing tends to be shallow, fast, and irregular. This can trigger the fight, flight or freeze response, which prepares us for danger, but also increases our heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol levels. In this state it may also be harder to access compassion for ourselves or others.

On the other hand, when we are relaxed, happy, or peaceful, our breathing tends to be deeper, slow, and regular. This can help switch off our fight, flight or freeze response and activate our parasympathetic nervous system, also known as our rest-and-digest response. This response helps restore our body to a more soothed and balanced state, and can enhance our concentration, memory, and decision-making skills.

Adapted from Gilbert (2009)

0:00 Intro
0:15 Soothing Rhythm Breathing and the Parasympathetic Nervous System
01:38 Guided Soothing Rhythm Breathing Exercise
10:25 Outro and Summary

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