KATHERINE GORDON | TAOS CONTENT CREATOR AND EDITOR
“Take rest.”
I could feel my body relax onto my mat. Hearing the familiar words in an entirely new way each and every time I attended a yoga class at my local studio.
My freshman year of college, I faced my abuser in court. An event that was seven years in the making since my assault in 2012, and an event that allowed me to start my life in a new way as I slowly identified and found outlets for my emotions. Around this time, I turned to yoga almost obsessively. I left each class feeling sweaty and exhausted, but more free than I had felt in years. Each time I practiced savasana, I felt myself “take rest” in a way I was previously unable to. I was always left wondering what was happening in my body? Why did I feel the way that I did? How could I feel so mentally energized, yet so physically exhausted?
These questions led me to register for a 200 hour yoga teacher training course. Curious about the effects that yoga was having on my healing and wellbeing, I felt compelled to learn more. In my journey to becoming a certified yoga instructor, I learned about the benefits of regular yoga practice, and I became enamored with the effects and benefits of breathing in particular.
By becoming mindful of our breathing we can calm the mind and energize the body, reducing afflictions and bringing balance into our lives. One of the most frequently queued breathing techniques in yoga is Ujjayi Pranayama or So Hum Breathing. “So Hum” directly translates to “I am,” representative of the grounding and calming nature of this long, slow form of breath.
As Jay Shetty points out in his book Think Like a Monk, “we experience every emotion with the change of the breath.” For years, I did not realize how much emotion was hidden in my breath, and I had often struggled with physical symptoms of anxiety, even in situations where I was mentally and emotionally calm.
Soon after beginning my training, I found myself with the opportunity to have a small group lunch with Stanford researcher and Science Director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University, Emma Seppälä. Fascinated by the physiology of breath and its effects on mental wellbeing, I was especially interested in her research on the benefits of breathwork for individuals suffering from PTSD. By practicing breathwork, we can more effectively mediate our emotions, reducing depression and anxiety and increasing happiness and optimism. This can help regulate sleep, improve symptoms of trauma, and mediate impulsivity, cravings, and addictions.
Today, in a time of mass uncertainty and stress during a pandemic, breathing is something that can ground and center us. In the same way that breath work can help victims of sexual assault and those with PTSD by providing them with a sense of control over their emotional responses, it can allow us to navigate the unfamiliar and stressful situations that we often face.
For additional resources and a simple breathing practice to try at home, check out Emma Seppälä’s breathwork infographic.
