Holding your Breath…..not a good idea.

We all have a tendency to hold our breath whenever we are confused, shocked, traumatized, or are under water. Holding your breath effectively stops air movement. Trapped air can’t get out. Fresh air can’t get in. As CO2 levels rise, pressure increases. Body stress is triggered. The nervous system signals the body that something is amiss; and, that there must be an urgent need to move into flight or flee. The body spontaneously goes into self-preservation mode.

A gasp … rapid inhalation and holding it in, traps and locks the memory of the event into the fabric of your body. It remains there as a warning to you that surfaces whenever a similar event is happening or imminent . Think of the first time you scalded your hand over a steam kettle. Ouch! You gasped and held your breath. That one experience should have been enough to remind you to be cautious reaching over boiling water .

If you are experiencing trauma, such as tripping on an uneven sidewalk, or tumbling, flailing headlong into a bottomless abyss, or confronted by an anxious dog, keep breathing. I promise, you’ll be alright.