Co-Regulation Breathing

Breath is such a powerful tool for nervous system regulation, for both humans and dogs.

The other day, Tom told me that he has never seen a dog take as many deep breaths as Muggins does. Muggins had just laid down in the kitchen doorway and released a deep exhale as their elbows slid onto the floor. Muggins was waiting for us to finish dinner so we could go for a walk, and a deep breath makes waiting so much easier. I smiled, feeling proud of our pup and their skillful deep breaths.

On a different day, Tom and I were in the car driving to our nephew’s baseball game. Tom was telling me about his time at his friend’s art studio and their plans to collaborate on a project. For some reason, my response to Tom’s story was heat and criticism. Tom felt my tension and suggested we stop talking. I took a deep breath, and then I took 3 more. As my breath settled the critical words that were rising in my throat, I shared that he was right, I was feeling tense, but I wanted to keep talking. I told him that I was feeling critical toward myself, about my own difficulties with going out into the community and finding collaboration opportunities. Tom understood, we kept talking, and were both able to enjoy the game.

My favorite part about these stories, is that both my ability to use breath and Muggins’s ability to use breath come from our shared practice. We practice together so that we can each use this tool on our own.

I’d love to support you and your dog in build this skill, too.

So, I’ve created a Co-Regulation Breathing Tutorial!

(Click the links below to get your FREE tutorial in either video or audio format.)