How to Use Your Breath to Regulate Your Emotions
Breathe Your Way to Calm with Pranayama
In the rush of modern life, our minds are often pulled in a dozen different directions making us cranky, disembodied, and stressed.
Looming deadlines, getting children to school or doing homework, difficult conversations, life admin, or juggling the relentless list of daily tasks can bring up all sorts of difficult emotions. Anxiety, anger, frustration, and overwhelm can make us feel grumpy, snappy, and tired.
While we can't control the external events that provoke these feelings, we do have access to a profoundly powerful tool to help us manage our internal response to these relentless demands: our breath.
This is the central principle of Pranayama, an ancient yogic practice of breath regulation. Far from being a simple breathing exercise, pranayama is a sophisticated science of controlling and extending our life force or prana. By consciously adjusting the rhythm, depth, and pace of our breath, we can directly influence our nervous system, bringing it to a state of calm.
So while the to do list might not go down, we might be able to approach it with a little more presence and regulation.
The Science of Pranayama
The magic of pranayama lies in its ability to bridge the gap between our conscious and unconscious bodily functions. The key is its effect on the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which has two main branches:
The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): This is our fight-flight-freeze response. When we perceive a threat or feel stressed, the SNS kicks in, increasing our heart rate, raising blood pressure, and releasing stress hormones like cortisol. Our breathing becomes shallow and rapid as our heart rate increases, pumping blood to our limbs readying us for survival.
The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): This is our rest-and-digest system. It promotes a state of calm, lowers the heart rate, aids digestion, and helps the body conserve energy. This is where we are able to think clearly, work harmoniously with others, and socially connect.
Our more difficult emotions, such anxiety and anger, while incredibly helpful in their own right for short bursts, can get stuck in ‘on’ when the sympathetic nervous system is overactive and too watchful.
Pranayama, particularly slow and deep breathing practices, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. We call this the vagal brake, slowing down the stress response, guiding your body and mind back to a state of equilibrium, peacefulness and calm. It helps to optimise the balance of gases in the body, primarily oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), which is crucial for stable physiological and psychological function.
Pranayama Techniques for Emotional Regulation
Here are several powerful pranayama techniques you can use to manage specific emotional challenges. Find a quiet, comfortable place where you can sit with a straight spine before you begin.
1. For Anxiety and Overwhelm: Sama Vritti (Equal Breathing)
Also known as "Box Breathing," this technique is exceptionally grounding and simple to learn. Its balanced, rhythmic nature is perfect for calming a racing mind and soothing anxiety.
Benefits: Reduces stress, increases focus, calms the nervous system.
How to Practice:
Gently exhale all the air from your lungs.
Inhale slowly through your nose to a count of 4.
Hold your breath gently for a count of 4.
Exhale slowly through your nose to a count of 4.
Hold the breath out for a count of 4.
This completes one round. Continue for 5-10 rounds, focusing on the smooth, even rhythm of the count. Try not to allow any space between each breath-hold-breath-pause. Keep it continuous and flowing.
2. For Anger and Frustration: Sheetali Pranayama (The Cooling Breath)
Anger is often described as a "hot" emotion. Sheetali is a remarkable technique designed to physically and mentally cool the body and mind, making it an excellent antidote to flashes of anger and irritation.
Benefits: Cools the body, calms the mind, reduces frustration and anger.
How to Practice:
Stick your tongue out and curl the sides upwards to form a tube or a straw. (If you can’t role your tongue don’t worry, sticking your tongue out and inhaling through the mouth works as well, or see below).
Inhale slowly and deeply through the tube of your tongue, as if sipping air through a straw. You will notice a distinct cooling sensation.
Draw your tongue back in, close your mouth, and exhale slowly through your nose.
This is one round. Repeat for 8-12 rounds.
Note: If you are unable to curl your tongue, you can practice a variation called Sheetkari Pranayama. Simply part your lips and gently clench your teeth together. Inhale through the gaps in your teeth, creating a hissing sound, and then close your mouth and exhale through your nose.
3. For General Emotional Balance: Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
This is one of the most powerful and balancing pranayamas. Nadi Shodhana is said to purify the energy channels (nadis) in the body and balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, leading to a profound sense of harmony and calm. It is excellent for daily practice to build emotional resilience.
Benefits: Balances the brain, improves focus and concentration, calms the mind and nervous system, reduces accumulated stress.
How to Practice:
Finger positioning for alternate nostril breathing
Sit in a comfortable position. Rest your left hand on your left knee.
Bring your right hand up to your face. Fold your index and middle fingers down, so your thumb, ring finger, and pinky finger are extended (this is known as Vishnu Mudra).
Gently close your right nostril with your right thumb and exhale completely through your left nostril.
Inhale slowly and deeply through your left nostril.
Close your left nostril with your ring finger, release your thumb from the right nostril, and exhale slowly through the right nostril.
Inhale slowly through the right nostril.
Close the right nostril with your thumb and exhale through the left nostril.
This completes one full round. Continue this pattern for at least 5-10 rounds, keeping your breath smooth and even.
4. For Releasing Agitation: Bhramari Pranayama (Humming Bee Breath)
This technique uses sound vibration to instantly soothe the mind and release agitation, frustration, and anxiety. The gentle humming sound resonates through the skull, having a powerful calming effect on the brain and nerves. It’s perfect for stopping racing thoughts and toning the vagal nerve.
Benefits: Instantly relieves tension and anxiety, calms an agitated mind, can help reduce blood pressure.
How to Practice:
Finger positioning for humming bee breath
Sit comfortably and gently close your eyes.
Place your index fingers on the cartilage of your ears (the part between your cheek and ear).
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
As you exhale, gently press the cartilage to close your ears. Keep your mouth closed and make a low-to-medium-pitched humming sound, like a bee.
Feel the vibration of the sound throughout your head.
Continue for 6-8 rounds. Afterwards, keep your eyes closed for a moment and notice the feeling of inner quiet.
Integrating Pranayama into Your Life
The true power of pranayama is unlocked through consistent practice. You don’t need to wait for a moment of crisis. In fact, learning these techniques when you’re calm has the benefit of toning the vagal nerve which makes it more flexible and able to return to calm more easily when you’re triggered, as well as helping you become more familiar with the techniques when you do need them in a crisis.
Start Small: Dedicate just 5 minutes each morning to a few rounds of Nadi Shodhana to start your day with balance.
Use it as a "Pattern Interrupt": When you feel a wave of anxiety during your day, take a 2-minute break for Sama Vritti (Box Breathing).
Cool Down: If you find yourself getting angry in traffic or a heated conversation, step away and practice 5 rounds of Sheetali.
Your breath is always with you. A portable, powerful, and free tool for navigating the complexities of your emotional landscape. By turning to these ancient techniques, you can move from being a passenger on a turbulent emotional ride to being the calm, conscious driver at the helm. The power to change your state is as close as your next breath.
