I’m certain that if you’re reading this, you probably understand why deep breathing helps us relax. But if you don’t, let me make it simple. Imagine more oxygen entering your body and more carbon dioxide leaving it. This shift lowers your heart rate and sends a calming signal through the vagus nerve to the brain. The brain receives that signal and interprets it to mean that you are safe. In contrast, shallow or erratic breathing increases your heart rate, which signals to the brain that something is wrong. The brain responds as if there is danger, whether or not a real threat exists.
Now let’s go beyond the breath. Let’s say you already have a breathing practice. You do it in your yoga class. You do it in the morning when you wake up. You remember to breathe deeply in the car when you're stressed out. You take five or six steady breaths and it helps. That is a great start.
But what comes next? What is the next stage in learning to self-regulate?
This is where things become more difficult. Breathing is easy. We are doing it anyway. Breathing deeper just takes a little practice and some mental reminders. But the next level of regulation is not physical. It is mental. It involves your thoughts.
Our thought patterns, like our breath, are habitual. I see thoughts as the byproduct of chemicals moving through the body. It is a closed-loop system. A chemical releases. A thought rises. The thought is noticed by the internal observer, which is still part of the mind. The observer decides whether the thought is a threat or a pleasure. That judgment triggers more chemicals. Those chemicals bring more thoughts. And the loop continues.
Once we have gained some control over the breath, we have a better chance of influencing the chemistry that generates the thoughts. This is why the redirection of thought is one of the most important adult skills. Children are not there yet. Their brains are still developing. They are fully immersed in their sensory experience and do not yet have the tools to step back and say, “I am the observer. Let me change my experience.” Adults, on the other hand, have the ability to do this.
A mature mind, with experience, discipline, and character, can begin to slow down and redirect its thoughts. That means consciously choosing to focus on something positive, something grounding, something that brings a sense of gratitude. That shift is a choice. It is an act of free will.
And if we find ourselves unable to make that choice, we may need to go back a few steps and build the foundation again. We can practice redirecting thoughts by building reliable habits like deep breathing, physical movement, journaling, and meditation. These habits support our chemistry and make mental clarity more accessible.
If we are eating poorly, not moving our bodies, not sleeping well, or constantly overstimulated, our chemistry becomes burdened. And when our chemistry is off, it becomes harder to relax the mind. It really is that simple.
Take this in slowly. Practice it. Reflect on it. We will keep adding to this as we go.