Breathing Can be a Brain Re-boot

Intentional breathing is like a re-boot to your brain.

Sometimes our thoughts are like a background program on a computer that slows it down. We forget they are there, because we don’t pay attention to them. It’s not until you re-boot that you remember they even exist. As you shut down your computer, each of the running programs has to be addressed and closed – even those you forgot about.

We usually don’t have to think about breathing. It is one of those unconscious behaviors that blends into the background of our lives. But our breath can be another important tool to help us be present and put our day into perspective. Things really can change when we pay attention.

A few minutes focusing on breath and just noticing what goes on inside you can be really powerful.

Last week, we talked about HOW to concentrate on your breathing and why it’s important. Now, consider what to think about when you breathe.

Think about your breath: How does it feel to have air come in and go out of your body? Feel it go deeply into your lungs. Imagine that extra oxygen rushing through your blood. As you learn to make breath something that serves you and not something that you just do, be very deliberate. Pay attention to how your brain feels when you focus on your breathing and nothing else. Most people find what happens is that they notice something is different or they feel a little bit better just by paying attention to how their breathing feels.

Think about your body: Now pay attention to how your physical body feels as you breathe. You may notice all kinds of stuff. A zinging? Or throbbing? Is there anywhere that you find you are holding tension? Invite that relaxing gentle energy you are feeling through those fresh breaths to come into the areas of tension or pain in your body. Is your neck tense? Breathe in relaxation to your neck and breathe out the tightness.

Pay attention to your thoughts: When those areas of tension in your body begin to relax you may find memories or events coming to your head. Capture them. Review them, review the details. Maybe at first you just have to write down the bit of memory or the image that your brain triggers. They are important, they can lead you to understanding why you’ve been tense, or what problems are driving your day.

As you breathe through a brain re-boot, you are likely to find memory streams that you weren’t aware were running. As you turn those thoughts over in your mind, you can begin to make sense of the kind of stuff that is slowing you down, or even causing a major malfunction.

We all hold stuff in our bodies. Being able to identify what our stuff is and how it is causing our physical bodies to feel can help change old thought habits. So, spend at least as much time as it takes to re-boot your computer, re-booting your brain today. It will help you build a new connection with yourself and open you to better connections with others. That’s what Do Tell: The Relationship Game is all about. Breathing new life, re-booting and re-building relationships.