The rhythm of your breathing affects memory and fear responses.

Breathing is not just for oxygen. A study done by scientists at Northwestern Medicine reported that the way you breathe can influence brain activity that enhances memory, and controls emotional reactions to fear.

Many people suffer from irrational fears and phobias, which exist mainly in the imagination, but is taken as real evidence that such fears actually exist. Fear thrives on the incorrect use of your imagination, and fear can even make something up and get you to believe it. In reality, these irrational fears pose no danger, but the way you react to the input of your imagination is where the problem lies.

Imagination is a powerful tool, and if it presents you with a situation which causes you to feel fearful, shackled by anxiety, you may suddenly become short of breath, feel that you might faint, or lose control of yourself.

If you have found yourself in a panic or crisis situation, good advice to breathe deeply and calm down will be wasted, if you do not know how to put it into action.

How fear and phobias work.

Fear and phobias are basically the same thing, but it is actually phobias which bring about feelings of fear. Some phobias may develop in adult years, but it is really during childhood that most phobias begin, growing worse as you get older. Eventually, if left untreated, phobias have the potential to paralyse you with fear in situations which trigger the fears.

The power of thought is an amazing energy that we all have at our disposal, and the way you use it, can influence and control your reactions to circumstances brought about by fearful phobias lurking in your mind.

The secret to success is to use your thought power to change your mindset, and drop the baggage that may have accumulated over the years.

Studies have shown that hypnosis, or hypnotherapy, is the best way to change fear into calmness in specific situations.

How hypnosis helps to relieve fear and phobias.

Hypnotherapy is a process that gets you into a relaxed state of mind, where the thoughts and brainwaves slow down. It is a focused state of relaxation, and allows the subconscious to be open to positive suggestions that will stop your imagination running riot with fears.

Studies have indicated that the way you breathe has a definite effect on how you respond to panicky situations. These responses depend on whether you inhale, exhale, and whether you breathe through the nose or the mouth.

Hypnosis can teach you how to breathe to help calm your nervous system, and relax the anxious mind.

Breathing is vital to get oxygen into your system to keep you alive, but not all breathing is equal. There are ways your manner of breathing, which if properly applied, can enhance your memory, and promote peace and calmness in your mind.

A simple way to calm your mind and body.

Here is a focussed breathing exercise to help you attain mental and body calmness:

· Find a comfortable place to sit where it is also quiet. Make sure your chair has adequate back support, and begin by breathing through your nose.

· Get your breath down as far down into your belly as you can, and breathe out slowly through your mouth.

· Breathe in gently and regularly, with a count up to 3, eventually getting to 5.

· Don’t hold your breath, but exhale also up to a count of 3 to start with, working up to 5.

· Repeat for 3 to 5 minutes, and make this part of your daily routine, possibly 3 times per day if you can.

You will be amazed at how much better you will feel, and as get used to “breathing practice” you may even try to increase your count up to 7 or 8, if you feel comfortable.

Focussed relaxation.

Hypnosis can bring you into a place of complete relaxation, and guide you to use your imagination for positive affirmations, instead of promoting phobias which trigger fear responses.

Hypnotherapy will also teach you how to practise mindful breathing, which will take you to a deeper level of focussed breathing, as you hear the sound of your breath going in and out, and feel your lungs expand with precious, life-giving oxygen.

You can experience the power of breath and how your mind can provide you with deep states of relaxation with the 'Time to relax' free MP3 download.