Mindful Breathing as a Nervous System Tool
Breathwork does not have to be fancy or complicated. It doesn't have to follow specific rhythms or be lengthy to be effective. Simply observing your natural breath, tuning into your body, becoming more present, and breathing diaphragmatically can be incredibly effective ways to help bring your nervous system into a parasympathetic state of "rest, digest, and repair."
Why Is Breathwork Effective?
Understanding the why is always important.
Your breath is unique because it is controlled both voluntarily and involuntarily, meaning you can consciously influence the way you breathe, but you also continue breathing without having to think about it. Your involuntary breathing is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. However, because you are also able to consciously control your breath, it provides a direct gateway into influencing your nervous system.
Your breath often becomes rapid and shallow when you are in a sympathetic nervous system state (the "fight-or-flight" or stressed state). This increases the amount of oxygen available to the body to prepare you for survival. From an evolutionary perspective, this response would have helped you run away from danger or respond to a threat.
Today, however, this same survival mechanism is often activated by modern-day stressors such as work deadlines, social anxiety, financial pressures, relationship stress, & the constant demands of everyday life. While these situations aren't life-threatening, your nervous system can respond as though they are.
By consciously slowing & deepening your breath, you can send signals of safety back to your brain, encouraging your nervous system to shift towards a parasympathetic "rest, digest, & repair" state. This can help reduce stress, improve digestion, lower your heart rate, & support both your physical and mental wellbeing.
How To Mindfully Breath
I am mindful of using the term deep breathing, which is commonly used alongside breathwork, because I don’t want to encourage forcing the breath. I don’t want the shoulders to lift or the body to strain to make room for air. I don’t want it to feel forced, with muscles tensing or overworking to get air in.
Mindful breathing starts with simply observing the way your breath flows in & out of the body naturally. You might place one hand on the belly and aim to let the belly rise softly under your hand, allowing the ribs to expand with the breath. It should never feel uncomfortable.
Even simply becoming more present with the breath is a grounding tool to return back to the body & the present moment, using the breath as an anchor to what is happening right here & now. It is a form of meditation, but not as complicated as meditation is often perceived (though meditation itself is more simple than most people think).
Mindful breathwork can be as simple as that: just observing natural breath and becoming present. You can do this for just three breaths, or you can keep that focus on the breath for longer periods of time, one minute, five minutes, fifteen minutes, more. When thoughts begin to drift, which they may do as you try to stay anchored to the breath for longer timeframes, simply observe the thoughts & gently return back to the breath, the way it feels, the way it flows, the way it moves.
If you prefer to be guided to focus on the breath, you can also listen to mindful breathing meditations or play calming music in the background to set the tone. However, breathwork can also be done anywhere at any time, without anyone even knowing, which is one of the reasons I love it as a tool so much because it is extremely accessible to everyone at any time.
RETURN TO STILLNESS
If you would like to explore breathwork more & reset your nervous system, Sincerely Serina is hosting an event on the 22nd of August 2026. It is a blend of movement, acupuncture & breathwork, to nourish the nervous system & return to stillness.
In Person Support
I start every pilates class with breathwork to allow the body to arrive inwards, to support pilates as a practise & to improve nervous system tone (how quick the body can shift into a calm state). If you would like to join me for Pilates, you can find me across the Mode Pilates studios on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
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