Why taking a deep breath changes everything

You cannot survive without breathing. Not only is our life dependent upon our breathing our breathing patterns affect our chemistry and brain function. When you do not breathe deeply or are in the habit of quick, short, sharp breaths this stimulates the amygdala. When the amygdala is stimulated we are in fight or flight mode looking for danger and on high alert. Some people call this being a type A personality but often it is a learned behaviour in response to stress. You can relearn to breathe deeply and calm your whole system down. Try it. Take a slow luxurious (I'm on vacation) deep breath in imagining there is nothing else to do in this moment but relax and rest with a deep breath and a sigh. Notice if you smile with the pleasure of just stopping to breathe. Taking a deep breath can bring you more fully into the present moment so you can see the beauty around you.

And that changes everything!