Autonomic Nervous System 101
Introduction
As breathwork facilitators, we get to see the incredible changes that happen when people connect with their breath. Understanding how our breath works with our nervous system gives us powerful tools to help guide others towards feeling better and more at ease.
Think of your nervous system as your body's inner control panel. It works behind the scenes most of the time, but it has two main branches: one that revs us up for action (the "fight, flight, or freeze" response) and one that helps us relax and restore (the "rest and digest" mode). The amazing thing about breathwork is that it gives us a way to directly influence this inner control panel. It's like giving our stress response system a workout – the more we practice, the better we get at handling challenges and finding calm again.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at how this all works. We'll explore how breathwork helps us manage emotions, deal with stress, and feel more connected to our bodies. We'll even talk about a special nerve called the vagus nerve and why it's important for facilitators to understand how trauma might affect people.
By learning these things, we become better equipped to support our clients as they discover their own path to greater well-being.
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
The ANS functions that keep us alive and responds to our environment (Porges, 2011). It works behind the scenes most of the time, but it has two main branches: one that revs us up for action (the "fight, flight, freeze, or fawn" responses) and one that helps us relax and restore (the "rest and digest" mode). To understand how breathwork influences our well-being, let's break down the key components of the ANS:
Branches:
The ANS is divided into two main branches that work in dynamic tension:
Sympathetic Nervous System:
This is where our survival responses live. When our brain senses something potentially dangerous, the sympathetic nervous system kicks in. Here's a closer look at the classic "fight, flight, freeze" responses, plus the often-overlooked "fawn" response:
Fight: The urge to confront or resist the threat. This might look like anger, defensiveness, or attempts to take control of the situation.
Flight: The urge to escape or flee from danger. This can manifest as running away, withdrawing, or avoiding the situation.
Freeze: When fight or flight seem impossible, the body may shut down. This involves a sense of immobility, dissociation (feeling disconnected), and a drop in energy levels.
Fawn: This response is about appeasing the threat to avoid harm. It might show up as excessive people-pleasing, putting others' needs first, or difficulty setting boundaries. Often this develops when other responses weren't safe or effective in childhood.
Physical Changes:
Heart and Lungs: Increased heart rate and blood pressure ensure oxygen-rich blood gets to muscles quickly. Breathing becomes faster and shallower to take in more oxygen.
Digestion and Metabolism: Digestion pauses to conserve energy for immediate survival. Blood sugar may increase for a boost of energy.
Sensory Sharpening: Pupils dilate for better vision, and you might get tunnel vision. Sweating might increase to cool the body during exertion
Emotional Changes:
While necessary for survival, chronic sympathetic activation contributes to:
Anxiety, restlessness, irritability
Trouble focusing
Difficulty sleeping
Muscle tension or body aches
Your Parasympathetic Nervous System
This is our "rest and digest" branch. It promotes relaxation, restoration, and energy conservation. The parasympathetic system slows our heart rate, deepens breathing, stimulates digestion, and allows for bodily repair (Dana, 2018).
Physical Changes:
Heart and Lungs: Heart rate slows, blood pressure lowers, breathing deepens and becomes more regular.
Digestion and Metabolism: Digestion is stimulated, nutrients are absorbed, and processes like cell repair are prioritized.
Relaxation Response: Muscles relax, tension dissipates, and a general sense of calm prevails.
Emotional Signs:
The parasympathetic system is linked to feelings of:
Safety and contentment
Improved focus and mental clarity
Ease in social connection
Emotional balance
Important Note: The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems work in a constant dance. Optimal health requires flexibility – the ability to activate when needed and relax when safe.
The Balancing Act (and Why Breathwork Matters)
In an ideal world, our nervous system shifts fluidly between these states. But modern life often leaves us stuck in sympathetic overdrive, leading to a host of physical and emotional challenges. The beauty of breathwork is that it gives us a way to directly influence our nervous system. Through different breathing techniques, we can learn to both activate when needed and tap into that calming "rest and digest" state for greater balance and well-being.
Breathwork - The ANS Workout
Now that we've reviewed the basics of the ANS, let's explore how breathwork specifically interacts with this system. A helpful metaphor is to think of breathwork as a workout for our stress response system. Much like lifting weights builds muscle, specific breathing techniques can enhance our ANS's capacity to handle challenges and return to a state of balance.
The Gym Analogy:
When we exercise, we intentionally put stress on our bodies to promote adaptation and growth. Similarly, breathwork allows us to practice activating and then deactivating our sympathetic nervous system within a safe, controlled environment.
Targeting the Sympathetic: Techniques like rapid breathing (such as in conscious connected breathwork) or breath retention can temporarily mimic a stress response. This might trigger physical sensations associated with increased sympathetic activation – faster heart rate, muscle tension, or even feelings of agitation (Grof, 1988).
Building Capacity: By repeatedly engaging in breath practices that activate the sympathetic nervous system, we gradually increase our tolerance for those sensations. This means real-life stressors are less likely to knock us off balance, as our bodies have learned to navigate physiological arousal and return to a calmer state more effectively (Seligman & Wuyek, 2021)
The Rebound: A crucial part of this 'workout' is the natural rebound into parasympathetic activation that follows. Deep relaxation, slow breathing, and a sense of calm often emerge after an intense breathwork session. This reinforces our nervous system's ability to shift states flexibly.
Applications of Conscious Breathwork
The ANS training provided by breathwork translates to tangible benefits for our clients in various areas of life. Here are a few key applications:
Emotional Regulation: When we can modulate our nervous system's responses, we gain greater control over our emotional states. Breathwork can be a powerful tool for down-regulating intense feelings like anxiety, anger, or overwhelm (Ma et al., 2017).
Stress Resilience: By building our ANS "fitness," we become less reactive to everyday stressors. Breathwork practices can help cultivate a sense of inner calm amidst life's inevitable challenges, promoting overall well-being (Hopper et al., 2019).
Mind-Body Connection: The breath is a unique bridge between our conscious control and automatic bodily processes. Breathwork enhances our awareness of the physical sensations associated with different ANS states. This deepened interoception (internal sensing) is invaluable for both self-understanding and self-regulation (Ferreira-Vorkapic et al., 2021).
Beyond the Basics
While our focus so far has been on the generalized functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS, it's important to acknowledge the crucial role of the vagus nerve. As the primary nerve of the parasympathetic system, it acts as a communication highway, sending signals of safety and relaxation throughout the body (Porges, 2011). Breathwork practices that emphasize slow, rhythmic breathing, particularly during the exhale phase, can directly stimulate the vagus nerve. This leads to a decrease in heart rate, deeper breaths, and a greater sense of calm.
However, it's essential to approach breathwork with a trauma-informed lens. For individuals with a history of trauma, deep breathing exercises might feel overwhelming or destabilizing. Their nervous systems may be hypervigilant, making sudden shifts between states feel unsafe (Van der Kolk, 2014). As facilitators, our priority must be creating a safe, supportive container, offering plenty of choice and modifications, and always respecting client autonomy.
Prioritizing Safety and Grounding:
Start with Simple Techniques: Begin with gentle, slow breathing exercises like belly breaths or mindful breaths focused on the present moment. This allows clients to build trust and familiarity with the practice.
Focus on Choice and Control: Offer a variety of breathwork techniques and empower clients to choose what feels safe and comfortable for them. Avoid forceful instructions or forceful engagement.
Anchoring Techniques: Introduce grounding exercises like body scans or mindful visualization before or after breathwork practices. This helps clients stay present and anchored in their physical sensations.
Verbal Cues and Language: Use gentle, supportive language. Avoid phrases like "push your limits" or "let go." Instead, focus on exploration, curiosity, and finding what feels right for their body.
Gradual Progression and Flexibility
Notice, Don't Force: Encourage clients to simply observe any sensations or emotions that arise during breathwork without judgment or pressure to push through them.
External Pacing: Offer options for external pacing cues like counting breaths or using a metronome. This can provide a sense of structure and control for clients who might feel overwhelmed by silence or internal cues.
Shorter Sessions: Start with shorter breathwork practices and gradually increase the duration as clients feel comfortable.
Focus on Exhales: Emphasize slow, gentle exhales over forceful or deep inhales. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system and promotes relaxation without triggering over-stimulation.
Body Awareness and Regulation
Body-Based Practices: Integrate gentle stretches, mindful movements, or yoga postures into breathwork sessions. This can help clients reconnect with their bodies in a safe and supportive way.
Focus on Positive Sensations: Encourage clients to notice and focus on any positive sensations that arise during breathwork, such as relaxation, warmth, or a sense of ease.
Collaboration and Trust
Open Communication: Maintain open communication with clients throughout the session. Invite them to express any discomfort or need for modification.
Normalization: Validate their experiences. Let clients know it's normal to have strong emotions or feel overwhelmed during breathwork, especially if they have a history of trauma.
Trauma-Informed Training: As facilitators, ensure we have adequate training in trauma-informed practices to create a safe and supportive environment for all clients.
Remember:
Building trust and a sense of safety is paramount for trauma-informed breathwork. These modifications are simply guidelines; the ultimate goal is to empower clients to explore their breath in a way that feels safe and supportive for their unique journey.
Conclusion
The breath is a remarkably accessible tool with the potential to profoundly impact our nervous systems. As breathwork facilitators, understanding the principles of the autonomic nervous system provides a solid foundation for guiding our clients towards greater regulation, resilience, and overall well-being. By recognizing the interplay between conscious breathing practices and our internal states, we can empower both ourselves and those we work with to navigate life's stresses with more ease and awareness.
Reference List
Dana, D. A. (2018). The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation. W.W. Norton & Company.
Ferreira-Vorkapic, C., Feodoroff, B., & Radin, D. (2021). Mindfulness and Breath-Focused Practices for Enhanced Interoceptive Awareness: Overview and Directions for Research. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. [invalid URL removed]
Grof, S. (1988). The Adventure of Self-Discovery. SUNY Press.
Hopper, S.L., Murray, S.L., Ferrara, L.R., & Singleton, J.K. (2019). Effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing for reducing physiological and psychological stress in adults: a quantitative systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 42, 356–377. [invalid URL removed]
Ma, X., Yue, Z-Q., Gong, Z-Q., et al. (2017). The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults. Frontiers in Psychology. 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W.W. Norton & Company.
Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers. Henry Holt and Company.
Seligman, L., & Wuyek, L.A. (2021). Integrative and Holistic Trauma Therapy: Play, Art, Body, and Movement Approaches. W.W. Norton & Company.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking Books.
