This is an introductory face-to-face workshop which is suitable for anyone who is interested in building their resilience to stress and learning how to regulate their nervous system to deal better with stressful situations in life....and we all experience these!
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There are two branches to our Autonomic Nervous System: the Sympathetic (fight or flight) branch and the Parasympathetic (rest, digest, restore & relax) branch. We ideally want a balance between these two modes, as we need both to function optimally. The Sympathetic branch of our nervous system developed to get the body ready to fight or flee when the brain perceived imminent danger. For instance, a person's heart rate and respiratory rate increases, blood vessels dilate, more oxygen is sent to the muscles, digestion slows, stress hormones are released, etc. In the past, this response would be triggered when a saber-toothed tiger appeared. However, it seems that our brains have not evolved enough to tell the difference between a real, imminent life threat (such as a dangerous dog or person attacking us) and other stressful situations which are not life threatening, like a stressful work meeting or answering a difficult email, but elicit the same Sympathetic response. As a result, many of us have an imbalance in our nervous system and develop dysfunctional breathing patterns, living more in fight or flight mode, which reduces our resilience to life's stresses and affects our long term health.
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Breathing is the only way we can hack into our autonomic nervous system and take ourselves out of fight or flight mode and more into rest, digest and restore mode. There are also numerous health benefits to adopting healthier breathing patterns, as well as learning to use the breath to reduce stress and anxiety.
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In this workshop, we will learn about some of the science behind functional breathing and practice some simple breathing exercises to calm the mind, to improve your sleep quality, to boost your energy levels and focus, as well as to improve your endurance during physical exercise. The workshop also includes the chance to try a cold plunge in the safety of my garden pool. Using the breath with cold water immersion teaches the body to stay calm in light of this perceived danger (the cold!), so further helps us build resilience to stress and there are many other health benefits associated with cold water immersion.
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This workshop is a practical, informative and fun experience. Following the day, you will have access to audio recordings and summaries of the breathing exercises we cover so you can continue to practice these in your daily life.
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Marianne is a Certified Buteyko Instructor and an Advanced Oxygen Advantage Instructor. Both techniques teach people to breathe more efficiently in their daily lives to balance their nervous system to reduce stress, sleep better, improve focus and concentration, energy levels, sports performance and recovery. She is also a Cold Water Therapy Practitioner and winter swimmer and uses cold water immersion combined with these breathing techniques to alleviate her own musculoskeletal pain, migraines, menopause symptoms, and to reset when feeling stressed.
* This course is not suitable for anyone who is pregnant or has a serious heart or health condition or unregulated high blood pressure. If you are unsure, please contact Marianne before booking.
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The venue for this day is: 2 Garden Close, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 4JS.
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Awareness of our Breathing
Breathing Biomechanics.
