A Research Paper By Hilary Taggart, Transformational Coach, United Kingdom
The Breath. Can It Support Me to Be More Present, and a Better Coach?
I practice yoga. When I joined ICA, I was amazed at the similarities yoga principles and beliefs have with coaching ones. I saw connections in so many places.
I feel that, as I finish my studies, further developing moment-to-moment awareness is the next step for me, to confidently progress in my yoga and coaching journey.
Concentrating on the breath brings our busy minds away from overthinking our body and the rise and release of our belly, ribs, and chest. We feel and remember our body is there. When we follow the breath, we can’t be in the past or the future, so our focus is on the present – the here and now.
In the following excerpts from an interview with Dr. Bridget O’Rawe, we explore some of the physical, psychological, and esoteric aspects of the breath. My inquiry is less about theory and more about how it connects to being present as a coach and also to becoming more overall. There is so much more to this subject.
Bridget initiated her medical career in General Practice, later specializing in primary healthcare as an Associate Specialist in Psychiatry. Now retired, she specializes in the treatment of trauma and is an EMDR[i]Consultant and facilitator on training. In her free time, she practices and teaches yoga. She has studied meditation, Yin yoga [ii]and pregnancy yoga with YTI (yoga therapy Ireland), as Nada – the yoga of sound[iii]and is currently completing a two-year (500hr) training in yogic breathing (pranayama) [iv]with the Gitananda Yoga school in Pondicherry, India. She has spoken at conferences on EMDR, trauma, and the Polyvagal Theory[v].
Dr. Bridget O’Rawe’s Interview: The Breath
I am so grateful for her help and kindness, in providing her expertise, so that I can delve into the breath, be present, learn, and write this paper.
H: Hi Bridget. The focus of my research is if the breath can support me to be a better coach and be more present.
B: Yes, I think only when you have experienced it well enough and done it yourself, are you going to be able to bring presence to somebody else.
The difference between being a really good therapist/coach is someone who has lived experience, as opposed to somebody who has opened a book and is regurgitating information.
What keeps me in the present moment might be a conversation, or being captured by the person, or interest, or it might be a sense of empathy, or their story engages my heart.
Sometimes, what I need to be present is to get up stretch, and move my body.
While absolutely I think the breath is the most powerful tool, I don’t think it is the only one. It is the one most available to us.
H: Presence brings us focus and connection as you say.
B: For example, when we have a patient that we don’t warm to, it says that we are all human, yet we still have our piece of work to do with them. How do we bring ourselves back to work, if we don’t have some of these skills?
H: Sure. At times, there can be things in the way, not making it easy.
B: So, we need to ask ourselves “Who is this in the present with me, and how I can keep myself in the present?”
We may think “I don’t like your attitude”, which is coming from our experiences from before, and if we can set those back, and are so totally in the present, our prejudices aren’t going to be there.
H: Yes, removing judgment. When you are judging, you aren’t being present.
B: That’s exactly right. One question I used to wrestle with, is when you are so in the present, is your brain empty? I believe now that when you are so present and still, it allows whatever is necessary to come in. The intuitive mind will feed in your skills, whatever you need to say to this person, to bring them to whatever realization they need to get to or learn, and it’s actually pure because you are taking your ego out of it.
H: It’s your intuition and heart, all those subtle things. Not your thinking mind.
B: It’s your wise Buddhi mind[vi], which is the highest point of our intellect, without the ego. All the learning that we have, all of that wisdom, can trickle in, if we create space.
H: We create space, so there’s room for whatever is needed.
B: We become the channels.
If I can do that in my work, then I can hand it over to my patient, all that is earned is theirs. I don’t feel like I am brilliant because I have led them to this realization. I helped them draw that out of themselves. It was already there.
Also, if they don’t heal at the rate I would like, then it’s also me thinking “I’ve done the best I can, it’s not my fault”. That is one thing I would struggle with, but this way I don’t have to worry about it.
H: Coaching is similar in that way. It isn’t about us.
B: We are the vehicles to try and help the person achieve their goal. It’s just different pathways to do that.
H: Medically, what does the breath do?
B: It oxygenates the blood and brings health to all the cells, in every way, so it keeps somebody ticking over physically. The healthier and fuller the breath is, the more oxygen you can get delivered to your cells. All of your bodily organs are going to work better.
Also, the more emotionally stable you are, the more clarity you are going to have with your thinking. You want to have the right breathing, in order to do that.
H: Do you do any breathing practices with your patients?
B: When I started in psychiatry in 1991, I had few practical skills.
My life experiences have made me bring them in, like my yoga practice and things that have worked for me.
I have found that by concentrating on the breath, you are training your mind to be more focused. It really gives you the ability to be present and concentrate better on things.
Studying breathing practices has been very experiential and my own questions inevitably get answered on the mat[vii].
I always do breathwork with patients. I teach it at the beginning and end and may bring it in in the middle if stress comes up.
Initially, it might simply be abdominal breathing, and then stabilizing techniques. Bringing in sound and movement, especially brahmari[viii], which brings us into our parasympathetic and soothes our nervous system, is really powerful.
H: So, the breath stabilizes? What would you say coming out of the mind, into the body and ground does?
It creates that balance between the earth and the head, and the head and the heart. We need to draw down from our head, into our emotions and listen to what the body is carrying as well. The breath is a really good way to draw down and into the body, say an exhale down into the feet, or the base of the spine.
Creating safety and stabilization and allowing the breath to be deep enough, but not too deep, but softly, bit by bit, with shorter breaths, is best.
Deeper breaths can be too much not just physically, but also emotionally.
For overwhelm, exhale longer.
H: So, extending the exhalation is more relaxing?
B: Exactly. The inhalation is more sympathetic, activating fight or flight. The exhalation is quiet and nurturing. It’s about getting the balance. The same length in and out sounds about right, to be aware and also take action. So, to be in the present, a 4:4 breath[ix] is lovely.
I use it for me too. If I hear something that is distressing, or I get triggered, I will extend my exhale right down my spine to feel myself grounded, to keep myself present, and keep my awareness.
After a patient leaves, there are techniques to cleanse the space around your body, letting go of interpersonal stuff, the things that have gotten stuck to you, or tiredness, or how you’ve been feeling.
H: With your pranayama (breathing) course, what has changed for you?
B: It has accelerated growth in my yoga practice and teaching.
What’s changed is knowledge, practice, regularity, and me – I think cellularly I’ve changed for the better. My family would say I’m easier to live with!
It’s been a beautiful journey, and I’m so grateful. I’m enjoying things more.
I do things generally at a more mindful pace.
H: Do you think it helps with your purpose if you’re going deep into yourself?
B: Totally. With pranayama, initially, it is going to help you concentrate, or reduce your anxiety, then the more you do it, or you find a different teacher, or use it in a slightly different way, it takes you to a different level when you are ready to access that. That does affect your purpose, yes.
If people are spiritual, it’s a no-brainer to say it deepens spirituality and connection.
H: Can people not on a spiritual path benefit?
B: I think the purpose is your path, a form of agreement that you have a road that you should be traveling, maybe because of your skill set or your relationships. It is in itself, an acknowledgment that there is something greater in you, that you just need to access and follow.
You may not agree that there is a greater being, and that’s okay.
So, you use it to help with focus, your life journey, or your career path.
Like we said earlier, it’s allowing what is necessary to drop in.
With pranayama practices, you are creating physical space within your body and stillness in your head, and then you will get whatever you need to get for the next step of your journey.
H: And when your head is too full, there is no space for anything new.
B: Exactly. Many people, like Einstein [x]and Newton, have spoken about ‘dropping into a meditation space[xi]
H: Yes. Gravity existed before Newton discovered it. It was already there.
B: He just had his hand out at the right time to catch the apple![xii]
H: Ready for transmission!
A coaching mindset is about being open, flexible, and curious. We need to be focused, mindful, and intuitive, to self-reflect, prepare both emotionally and physically, practice, and regulate our emotions. Breath and presence allow us to do all that. And, it’s a celebration, isn’t it?
B: That’s a lovely way of putting it. You are actually celebrating life because, without the breath, we don’t have life.
H: Breath is a partnership too – you and your breath, your inhale and exhale.
B: The receiving and letting go.
Being the best coach you can be, you bring yourself.
And having your own awareness and ability to be aware of the other person, and accept that both of you are different and it doesn’t have to impact anything other than positively on each other.
It’s always about moving somebody into a better space from where they are at, and it’s just at what level that they need to have that happen. But all the same principles are there.
My son, for example, needs to breathe well for his healing to occur.
In coaching, you need someone to be in the right place, and be open and free to accept and inhale it, and exhale whatever they don’t require, but hold unto what they need.
The same qualities and principles that exist in breath, exist in coaching.
Everybody is moving somewhere.
Even when you are questioning yourself growing, breathe and count!
It’s the rhythm of life.
The Breath: Bridget’s Thoughts and Views
Reflecting on the interview, I feel a warm wisdom in Bridget’s words and outlook. For me, she embodied a coaching mindset. It was inspiring.
My biggest takeaway was awareness, and especially the compassionate element to everything we do in coaching – to my own thoughts and my interaction and understanding of others. It has also reinforced truly putting trust in myself, clients, and the process, in order to be a great coach.
The breath gives us an instant connection to our bodies, so we can open our hearts, and not just exist in our minds. The breath sustains and nurtures our body non-stop. By focusing on the breath, we can help ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Breathing techniques support our healing. Creating space within the body and stillness in the head, they cleanse[xiii] and calm[xiv], stabilizing our emotions and making space for new ideas and possibilities. They increase our focus and awareness, and with practice, we can settle into the pauses and silence, and hear our inner wisdom too.
The breath can be accessed as soon as we bring our attention to it. We only need a few moments to begin and experience its benefits. We can steady ourselves, come back to the present moment, and reset anytime. It is limitless, so always available, whenever we need support.
The breath encompasses so much of what we need to be a good coach and healthy human being. For me, I think it is the ultimate tool, but for much more than being present in a coaching session. It can fully support everyone in living a life of awareness, presence, choice, and action.
My final thoughts are on feedback that I received from a friend, who said – “As a reader with no knowledge of the topic, I was hooked”. Creating simple, relatable work is important to me. If I can continue to keep my ego as an ally, the future looks bright. I am enough as I am, and there is more to become. I just need to take a big breath in and out and go for it.
References
[i] EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a comprehensive psychotherapy that helps you process and recover from past experiences that are affecting your mental health and well-being. It involves using side-to-side eye movements combined with talk therapy in a specific and structured format.
[ii]Yin Yoga is a style of yoga that involves long holds in various seated and reclined poses to access deeper layers of fascia and a quieting of the mind.
[iii]Nada Yoga is the Yoga of sound and vibration, utilizing mantra ie. Sanskrit monosyllables or words that calm the nervous system and quieten and focus the mind. The most celebrated is the famous mantra OM. It can be practiced without relying on its cultural or spiritual associations, as a form of sonic massage to promote the parasympathetic nervous system. Yogacharya Michael McCann, © 2023.
[iv]Pranayama is the science of breathing properly, as well as using the breath as a tool to calm the mind and bring one into a meditative space. Yogacharya Michael McCann, © 2023.
[v]Polyvagal Theory emphasizes the role the autonomic nervous system – especially the vagus nerve – plays in regulating our health and behavior. Created and developed by Stephen Porges, Ph.D., the theory describes the physiological/psychological states that underlie our daily behavior as well as challenges related to our wellness and mental health.
[vi] The Buddhi mind represents our inner wisdom. The word comes from Buddha – the One who has awakened to wisdom through meditation and other paths. Yogacharya Michael McCann, © 2023.
[vii] On the yoga mat, where yoga practitioners usually spend time in meditation.
[viii]Brahmari (the buzzing bee breath) is a classical pranayama of Yoga to relieve cerebral tension, anger, and anxiety, and bring about calm. The practitioner gently blocks the ear canals which amplifies the buzzing sound made with the closed lips on an exhalation. Often used as a prelude to meditation. Yogacharya Michael McCann, © 2023.
[ix]A ‘4:4 breath ’ means inhaling for a count of 4 and exhaling for a count of 4.
Even taking one conscious inhale and exhale can release some stress and anxiety. Extending the exhalations eg. 3:6, 4:6, 4:8 can soothe both body and mind. By taking a pause in between breaths (either inhale or exhale) we can experience further stillness and space.
[x]Einstein followed thought, rather than breathing, to delve deeply into consciousness.
[xi] Jon Kabat-Zinn, a meditation expert, uses the term ‘drop in’ to stillness and awareness
“What is of primary importance is the awareness and the quality of your experience of what is unfolding moment to moment. Of course, the breath is important, but first and foremost it is awareness itself” Page 146 Mindfulness for Beginners, Sounds True, Inc. © 2012.
[xii] Figuratively of course!
[xiii]Nadi Shodhana (alternative nostril breathing) is a classical breathing practice for cleansing the lungs, the nasal passages, and the energy channels (meridians). One breathes in alternate nostrils, sealing one nostril at a time with the thumb or ring finger. It balances both brain hemispheres, in that each of the latter relates to either nostril. Yogacharya Michael McCann, © 2023.
[xiv]Ujjayi Pranayama is a key breathing practice to calm the mind. One gently and partially closes the windpipe which brings about a gentle snoring sound when breathing, akin to the sound of a baby gently snoring. The gentle sound of ujjayi brings about a wonderful tranquillity. Yogacharya Michael McCann, © 2023.