Author: Daniel Atkins, M.A.

In the fishbowl, you can’t see the glass

Given the current circumstances, life may feel like it has shrunk to the size of your own individual or family fishbowl with few ways of seeing outside the glass. The daily and weekly routines may blur together as you navigate the same space day in and day out. In addition to the physical constraints, you may find yourself living within mental constraints as well, firmly rooted within the confines of your thinking mind – your own inner fishbowl so to speak. With the potential stressors of work or lack thereof, family, isolation, and a never-ending supply of news and information to stay on top of, you may feel obligated to stay in the mind. It is possible to stay in the mind day in and day out, without the realization that you have been living there for days or weeks on end. You may be waking up to immediately check the latest emails or news stories and doing the same thing before closing your eyes to sleep. Though the circumstances are very real and very dire for some, the mind has a subtle way of making you feel as though you must be thinking, thinking, thinking to find your way out of daily stress. Furthermore, when opportunities for new social experiences are limited or taken away completely, the mind can feel like the only place to be… Thankfully, this does not have to be the case.

Breath-Fullness

Much is written about mindfulness, but what may often be overlooked is the power of the breath as a tool to ease tension in the body and quiet the mind. With the power of breath-full exercises, you circulate oxygen throughout the body, calm the nervous system, and release mental and physical tension. You may not recognize it while locked away in the fishbowl of your mind, but your body has magnificent ways of clearing away tension and restoring emotional balance, just like animals in nature after a fight or flight from danger. You have all you need in the power of breath to calm the waters of your inner fishbowl and to know that in this moment you are safe. By living nonstop in the mind – the fears of what is to come and what we cannot know – you may notice you don’t often breathe fully. You may not even notice your breath for most of the day, or you may notice that you take only quick and shallow breaths when anxious. However, the breath is one of the most powerful tools to help regulate our feelings and to quiet the nonstop racing, fearing, and planning.

Ancient yogic traditions and modern scientific research alike show the usefulness of breath techniques in improving brain activity, reducing inflammation and pain, strengthening immune functioning, improving sleep, increasing energy, and relieving stress. There is a wide range of breathing techniques that are well researched and proven to be highly effective.

Belly Breathing

At the core of all effective breathing exercises is the process known as diaphragmatic belly breathing. Naturally, you may find yourself breathing only into the chest or by sucking the stomach in. This is actually one of the least effective ways of taking oxygen into the body. Think about it. If you are filling your body up with air, you want to push out your belly as though you are blowing up a balloon. This allows you to bring the most oxygen deep into the core of your body. You can practice this with one hand on your belly and as you breathe in, focus on pushing that hand out as you fill up with air.

Breathing Methods to Try

As mentioned, there are several methods worth using, but the choices can be overwhelming. Below you may find one or two that work best for you. Here are a few well-researched methods proven to effectively regulate the nervous system, all of which will take no longer than 5-10 minutes.

The Wim Hof Method

• Developed by Wim Hof, also known as the “Iceman,” is an extreme athlete noted for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures and influence his nervous system and immune system functioning with breath techniques
• This method is highly effective and may result in immediate feelings of euphoria, energy, and calm
• A beginner’s approach to the method can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BNejY1e9ik

Alternate Nostril Breathing

• Traditional yogic technique translated from Sanskrit to mean “subtle energy clearing breathing technique”
• Helps calm the mind, reduce anxiety, and optimize circulatory and respiratory systems
• A guided video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VwufJrUhic

Breath of Fire

• Another ancient yogic breathing exercise practiced in the Kundalini yoga tradition
• Used to create heat within the body, increase energy, release toxins, and increase circulation and concentration
• A guided video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8akmRraFk

4-7-8 Breathing

• One more widely used technique often taught by Dr. Andrew Weil
• Shown to reduce anxiety, help with sleep, manage cravings, and control or reduce anger responses
• A guided video of Dr. Weil teaching this method can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz4G31LGyog&feature=emb_title

Recommendations for Practice

It is recommended that you experiment with one or more of these techniques- but do so consistently. Preferably, when you first wake up in the morning, before going to sleep, or both. Do your best to stick with one or more of these techniques to truly begin to see the benefits in your daily life.

Mindful Breathing
In combination with a mindful meditation practice, breathwork can be highly effective in releasing tensions and find calm amidst such stormy and uncertain times. You may find yourself easily able to meditate or sit quietly for 5 to 10 minutes following any one of these methods.

Conclusion

When many familiar forms of social comfort are stripped away, it is important to recognize the power you hold within you to nurture and comfort your own body and mind. Though you may find little time for yourself with the commotion of your own inner and outer fishbowls, remember that just 5-10 minutes a day can make all the difference to truly improve the quality of your life moment to moment. While we are all confined to our fishbowls, we can do what we can to make the water feel as pleasant as possible. As hard as it may be to feel cut off from our connections to the outside world, recognize that you can change your inner state and create a desirable environment within yourself.