Aspire Therapy

Take a Deep Breath – The Importance of Effective Breathing

Breathing is the most basic of all human activities - but how good are we at doing it? Not bad if staying alive is the measure of our performance.

But there can be a lot more to breathing than just staying alive, as singers, athletes, newsreaders and others who have to be able to control their breathing will testify.

Most of the time we do it without thinking of course – and couldn’t function efficiently otherwise. It’s one of those many activities that we are able to perform automatically due to the wonderful ability of our body to work in close conjunction with our unconscious mind.

However, people who need to maximise their physical performance have to pay close attention to breathing technique – and all of us can learn lessons from this. For these people to be able to breathe correctly helps to conserve energy and maintain physical poise.

A Source of Relaxation

The flickering light cast by a candle can be an excellent source of relaxation. It is therefore a very useful image to focus upon when entering into hypnosis. The rhythmic dance of the flame, the subtle variations of colour, the smooth flow of the wax can all help infuse the mind with a feeling of well-being and calm.

Not only is the flame a source of calming light, it also creates an atmosphere of quiet and security. The thoughts can become subdued to its rhythm, the gentle flap of the flame reminding us also of the snap of canvas when a sail catches the wind. So the mind can be allowed to drift pleasurably into a deeper feeling of relaxation.