Source: by Dr. Jacob Jordan
Excerpted from TOTAL MINDBODY TRAINING
We have seen that mind and body are intertwined. Just as the mind moves the body, the body can move the mind. The key aspect of physiologic control of the mind is breath control. Respiration is truly the mirror of the psycho-physiologic state. While many people have developed a proverbial “poker face” with little clues to their emotions portrayed as facial expressions, their true mental state is always reflected in their breathing pattern. Anger is characterized by rapid breaths with forced exhalations. Anxiety is demonstrated by an erratic, fitful breathing pattern with breaths taken from high in the chest. While respiration reflects your emotional and physiologic state, it can also be utilized to change the state within seconds.
In the Western world we have been taught to breathe from high in the chest. This stems from the Western ideal of proper posture characterized by a puffed out chest with the stomach sucked in. Take a moment and assume this position. Notice how much energy is expended maintaining this posture. Hold this position for any length of time and soon you will notice how much tension is present. Maintain this position for fifteen to twenty minutes and fatigue will soon follow. While the martial arts teaches us to breathe from the abdomen, with states of tension, fear and anxiety, most students soon revert back to the shallow thoracic (chest) breaths which serve only to perpetuate sub-optimal states. In order to fully comprehend proper breath control, the mechanics of respiration must be understood.
The diaphragm is the primary muscle of respiration. This is the large, flat muscle separating the abdominal from the chest cavities. The diaphragm contracts thus lengthening the chest cavity creating a vacuum which draws air into the lungs. The secondary or so called accessory muscles of respiration include the intercostal muscles (between the ribs), and to a lesser extent, the neck muscles. The accessory muscles function to increase the anterior-posterior diameter of the chest cavity as well as to lift and spread the rib cage.
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