Day: February 22, 2020

Reflexive abdominal breathing provides a great deal of benefits in the treatment of many clinical and non-clinical mental health issues. Firstly, learning to reflexively engage in abdominal breathing provides training in non-judgmental awareness. Practicing giving up control to the breath in the moment allows for a more flexible relationship to whatever is present. One learns to settle one’s mind by sustaining attention on and awareness of the sensations of the rising and falling of the abdomen. This sustained attention facilitates an efficient use of one’s attentional resources, thus settling the mind. When one’s mind is settled, the self-management of the distressing posttraumatic or anxiety symptoms can more easily be regulated.