Just Relax and Take a Deep Breath… Yeah, Right!

Have you ever had someone tell you, “Hey, just relax!” As if it was that easy! When we’re feeling stress and anxiety, we’re operating from a part of our primitive programming that isn’t INTERESTED in relaxing. It wants to fight, take flight, or freeze in place… quivering with fright.

Most people have heard that if you can focus on your breathing… slow it down… deepen the breaths… it can shift you to a calmer state. For many people, that does not work very effectively when they most need it. Why is that?

Well, I find that the primitive brain likes to be acknowledged. EFT does that in the setup statement. “Even though I feel _____ ….”

Our brain also likes to know how we want to feel. EFT does this, too, with the second half of the setup statement: “I deeply and completely accept myself” or even something more specific like “I choose to find it surprisingly easy to relax, feel safe, and take deep breaths.” This focuses both your intention and the vibrational direction of the energy.

And there is a part of us that is still wired just like a big baby, and we want to be physically soothed. Ever try talking a baby into relaxing? Sometimes it works, but most of the time you get better results if you pat, rub, and rock them. The part of us that freaks out and feels scared at times is no different. The tapping points used in EFT are natural comfort points… they physically soothe our system and help shift our state of being towards calm confidence.

One of the most popular articles and audios on Thriving Now is a simple breathing exercise. I encourage you to listen, tap along, and maybe even download it to your iPod or other portable MP3 player. Use it when you’re feeling stressed and notice the shifts that happen in your body. feel free to let me know what you discover for yourself.

Anxiety Constricted Breathing

Note: Sometimes, this EFT breathing exercise can bring up some of the deeper issues that have been stored or suppressed in your breathing and elsewhere in your body. EFT can be used to help release these stress-inducing energies, too. So if stuff starts coming up, take it as a Good Thing. Continue tapping the points until you start relaxing. Consider reaching out to a coach or therapist to help you. Our group coaching program is perfect for helping you apply EFT for such issues. Consider starting your membership right now.

I recommended to one client that he tap using this exercise 2-5 times a day for three days. He wrote, “My breathing has become very, very good… which is unbelievable to me!” Those of us who use EFT and energy approaches everyday for “whatever stuff is coming up” don’t find that unbelievable at all… Try it, and see for yourself.

Tagged as: Anxiety, Breathing, Stress