When babies know best.

It’s funny, but you never really think much about breathing. Until it’s all you ever think about — Tim Winton

It’s something we do everyday around 12–20 times per minute, and yet its one of the most overlooked aspects of our physical, mental and emotional health… We’re talking about breathing, and you don’t have to a monk or a yogi for this to matter!

As a natural, involuntary act, breathing is something we’re pretty good at ignoring. Our bodies take care of the basics with or without our awareness — and for good reason. You wouldn’t be here today if not for your autonomic system running the show overnight.

But just because something happens unconsciously, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s happening optimally… And if we’re never taking a moment to connect consciously with our breath, the science tells us that we could be falling short of our mind and body’s full potential.

The reason the mindfulness and meditation industries have skyrocketed in the last decade is because we’re all struggling to navigate the noise, and stay here in the now. Without the ability to get present, to breathe deeply and connect with our bodies, we’re not fully living.

Listen, are you breathing just a little, and calling it a life?
Mary Oliver

The truth is, we’re born knowing how to breathe instinctively and effectively. No one in the world does belly breathing better than a baby! But as we get older, our fight-flight-freeze-or-fawn system tends to shape our breathing habits, influenced by past experiences and the stories we tell ourselves. We start taking shallow breaths into our chest, and tense our abdominal wall like a shield against potential threats. Over time, we’re left with tight muscles, reduced breath capacity, higher blood pressure, increased heart rate, racing thoughts… the list goes on.

One simple but powerful ritual for diffusing negative emotions is what we like to call ‘buying time.’ Deep abdominal breathwork via the technique of ‘Box Breathing’ is one way to just that. You can try it out right here as you read, and cycle through as many rounds as feels comfortable:

Want to take this even further? Take your belly breathing down into a shell stretch (also known as child’s pose, or ‘folded leaf’). Maybe it’s the first thing you do to win the morning and win the day, taking as little as 1 minute to connect to your breath and the kind of human you want to be throughout the course of the day.

The great thing about this particular position is that it gives your brain tangible feedback: the belly rising and falling against your thighs, and also expanding into the back. This is not only great for grounding, but also helps us identify with a sensation that we want to recreate in any difficult life situation — be it a traffic jam on the way to work, or a vulnerable conversation.

💡Did you know?

Your deep belly muscles extend all the way around your trunk and meet at the spine. When you practise belly breathing, think ‘low and 360°’ to get the greatest benefit.

Finally, for anyone working on their Performance Confidence in 2023 (see Chapter 3, Exercise 1 of the Mojo Mindset Course for more), breathing is one of best ‘anchors’ we can use to get back into our A-game.

Ever noticed how some of the worlds greatest athletes pause for a deep, low breath before a big moment? For many of our clients, this is a physical ‘anchor’ put into practise. They take a moment to consciously connect with their body and their favourite courage mantra via breath. It’s not just about staying calm and relaxed, it’s also about investing in a brave micro-moment of self reflection — a moment to tune out distractions, and bring their best selves to dance floor.

Looking for extra support?

We recommend starting small when it comes to self reflection, taking just 10 minutes every Friday morning to win the morning, and win the day. You can sign up HERE to our free weekly e-newsletter to join us (and many others!) in making self development and personal leadership a simple but powerful habit.

For more, check out the MOJO MINDSET COURSE & APP. Because you can’t work out what you want until you work out who you are. Start your journey now: https://mojocrowe.com/app