EXERCISE 14.4
Stress Tolerance
Deep Center Breathing
Purpose
To provide simple instructions in a stress reduction technique that will enable people to get in touch with the tension they are holding in their bodies and release it.
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13 to 18 minutes
This exercise is primarily for individuals and can be done in any comfortable location that is quiet and where one will be undisturbed. If a group of individuals wishes to undertake the experience simultaneously, there should be private or silent space available for each individual. The participant(s) practice deep breathing. The most significant competency needed in this exercise will be the facilitator’s familiarity with the power and rhythms of his or her own breathing. It is recommended that the facilitator practice for two or three consecutive days before attempting to coach others. The facilitator needs to have direct experience of the value this process provides in order to help the participant(s) slow down and appreciate something as intangible as breath.
Outcome
Each person who practices the Deep Center Breathing exercise will gain a greater appreciation for the power of his or her breathing, the rhythms of the body, and the amount of stress that is stored in the body.
Audience
- Intact team
- Unaffiliated group
- Individual working with a coach
Facilitator Competencies 
Moderate
Materials
- Deep Center Breathing Handout
Time Matrix
| Activity | Estimated Time |
| Sit comfortably in a quiet place, begin relaxing | 2 minutes |
| Read and practice the instructions | 3–5 minutes |
| Practice one or two rounds of the breathing exercise | 6–8 minutes |
| Experiment with the advanced method | 2–3 minutes |
| Total Time | 13 to 18 minutes |
Instructions
1. Invite participants to sit comfortably in a quiet place, relaxing to the best of their ability. Provide the participants with the handout.
2. Emphasizing that each individual’s experience of breathing is as unique as his or her fingerprints in its depth, rhythm, frequency, tension, and cycle (and that it is regularly changing), encourage the participants to first discover just how they happen to be breathing right now.
3. After several minutes, invite them to read the handout and practice the breathing exercises.
According to Candace Pert (2000), a leading neuroscience researcher, people who have lived in the developed world all their lives have over ninety industrial chemicals present in their bodies. Over 70 percent of our bodies’ waste by-products are eliminated through our breathing and our skin. Blood, which is fully oxygenated, removes more toxins from our bodies at the cellular level and makes it more difficult for viruses and bacteria to grow in our bodies.
Deep Center Breathing is a powerful stress reduction technique that supports muscle growth and supplies the brain and body the energy they need. It can also help to relieve muscular tension and alleviate stress. Although it is simple, its value should not be underestimated! Patterns of shallow or incomplete breathing do not give the body enough oxygen, which in itself can cause stress and fatigue due to the toxic build-up of carbon dioxide. These kinds of breathing patterns are often learned and repeated unconsciously. Until some sort of conscious breathing technique such as Deep Center Breathing is employed, most people never discover the natural power of their breath. So enjoy!
Deep Center Breathing
Sitting comfortably in your chair; observe your breathing. Notice which parts of your body move with your breath; notice how often you inhale, and how deeply.
Now spread your hands across your stomach, with your thumbs just under your ribs.
Shift your breathing out of your chest down and into your belly.
Feel your lower abdomen swell as the air inflates your lungs. As you exhale, feel your abdomen shrink and grow softer.
Now draw in your abdominal muscles and empty the remaining air from your lungs. Again, feel the difference.
Now breathe in this fashion for the next three minutes, inhaling slowly to a count of four and then slowly exhaling to the same count. After you have the hang of it, just let your hands relax comfortably in your lap. Notice what happens to your heart rate. How is it different when you inhale compared to when you exhale? After three minutes, return to normal breathing. Notice what you’re thinking. Notice what you’re feeling.
Do this exercise two or three times throughout the day, especially when you feel tired, or spacey, or upset. You can also do a longer version in which you build up time gradually by adding another minute every day until you reach fifteen or twenty minutes. For an additional stretch, try holding your breath for four counts when your lungs are full and again for four counts when they are empty, creating a four-part breathing pattern.
REFERENCE
Pert, C. (2000). Your body is your subconscious mind. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.