We do it about 900 times per hour, about 21,600 times per day and about 7,844,000 times per year. It is the most fundamental part of who we are, but we rarely give it a second thought. Breathing can be a powerful tool. If we learn how to use it, it can literally change our physiology in very dramatic ways.
Breathing is one of the few body functions that is under both our conscious and unconscious control.
In other words, we can willfully deepen or hold our breath, or we can forget about breathing altogether and it will continue on, using the nervous system's equivalent of automatic pilot. The ANS has two main branches that govern the unconscious functions of our bodies. If a vicious dog comes at you, the fight or flight response kicks in. This energy can be spent getting you out of immediate danger. Many of us are stuck in the fight or flight mode, and consequently live our lives as if we are being chased by that dog.