Understanding the Psychology of Breath and Breathing

Biomechanics and biochemistry of breathing interact to create physical sensations, vitality, and mental fluctuation—and, in turn, they are deeply affected by the mind, emotions, and psyche. Lifestyle factors (e.g., food choices, movement, alcohol, stress exposure, and perception) accompany environmental factors (e.g., temperature, altitude, cleanliness of air) to shape breathing patterns. Conscious breath control can be reclaimed (to a degree) when we understand that the way we breathe alters our physiology, anatomy, and psychology. This chapter explores rhythms, textures, sounds, and psychological features of breath and breathing. It explores how the autonomic nervous system and breath interact and how resilient and coherent breathing provides a portal into emotional, mental, and psychological self-regulation and represents an important strategy for health promotion. It links therapeutic breathwork to polyvagal theory, providing a framework for understanding how to affect breath in a psychologically tailored manner. The chapter emphasizes that the human capacity for conscious decision-making, discernment, and behavioral and relational choices can enter into the breathing equation, becoming a vehicle for breath awareness and attention, as well as lifestyle and health behavior changes that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being.