Reconnected Parenting Book

Welcome to Your Breathwork Practice Space!

You’re here because you’re ready to experience firsthand how your breath can transform your nervous system and ultimately, how you show up as a parent.

Let’s dive in! We will start by exploring the polarity of your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) by guiding you through the practices on page 34 and 35.

Noticing Your Current State

First, though, take a minute to notice your Current State Baseline – your starting point before you embark on practices that create change in your ANS.

Take a moment to just notice your thoughts, feelings, body sensations. Maybe your thoughts are clear and subtle, your body warm, emotions neutral. Or maybe your mind is racing, your body tense, and your emotions slightly anxious.

Whatever you are feeling, just notice for now, how you feel before the practice.

Next, notice your breathing:

Is your breath shallow or full?
Does the breath come down to your belly or does it stay in your chest?
Does it feel easy to breathe or hard to breathe?

No right or wrong here, just noticing the quality of your breath for now. You don’t need to change anything, just observe. These observations are your Current State Baseline.

Then, you can dive into the practice videos below.

Left Nostril Breathing

Activating your parasympathetic nervous system – your brake pedal

Now we have two practices for you to explore the branches of the Nervous System.

Bring your hand up to cover and block your right nostril with your thumb
Slowly breathe through your left nostril only
Keep breathing like this for a few minutes, just long enough to feel a change in the way you are feeling
After a few minutes, let go of controlling your breath, and let your hand rest back down in your lap
Spend another few moments observing your thoughts, feelings, body sensations now

If your left nostril is blocked, just breathe slowly through both nostrils.

What has changed after the breathing practice? Notice any subtle changes.

Listen to Emma Guide You

Breath of Fire

Exploring the polar opposite type of breath – your gas pedal

Ok, so let’s explore the polar opposite type of breath.

Keep your hands in your lap this time
Breathing in and out through your nose, breathe in short, quick breaths
Rapidly breathe in and out the nose, a bit like you are running, so there is no pause between the breaths you take
Your navel will naturally pump the breath in and out
Breathe as fast as you can for just a minute or so
Let go of the practice and notice the change!

How do your thoughts, feelings, body sensations change now?

Watch Emma Demonstrate

It is likely the two different ways of breathing gave you two very different experiences.

Well, this is because what you just experienced are the two different branches of the ANS, and they have very different and complementary roles.

Remember:

Left Nostril = Down-regulating (when you need to slow down) Breath of Fire = Up-regulating (when you need to activate)

Both are necessary! Regulation is not just ‘calming down’ – it’s actually the process of moving between appropriate states of arousal.

Guided Practice

Let’s take a break from learning and create time and space to unwind your nervous system using your breath. Eleanor will guide you through the practice below, found on pages 118 and 119 in the Reconnected Parenting Book – Create 15 minutes of undisturbed space to journal, then to do a short Breathwork experience.

Listen to Eleanor Guide This Practice:

Listen to Eleanor Guide This Practice

Start by journaling:

The Trigger: What area of your life do you find the most challenging at the moment?
The Reaction or Overreaction: When triggered what happens! How do you think, feel, behave?
The Stress Archetype: Which of the Stress Archetypes are being activated?
The Intention: How would you prefer to feel when the trigger happens? How would you prefer to respond? Feel? Think? Go deep in the detail of what you would rather have happening in that moment. Now ask yourself, if I could create that, what would it give me? Find an overall word, like ‘peace’, ‘pride’ that you would experience if you were able to transform this trigger and reaction.

When you have written that down, repeat it out aloud and see what happens in your body! Speaking out aloud an intention that really means something to you usually has a tangible response in your body. Keep adding to your intention till it really makes you smile if you can!

Now, lie down or sit down for five minutes of breathwork:

You do not need to focus on the intention or the trigger for this activity. In fact, you will completely let go of thinking about it.
From this moment, you will stay with everything that spontaneously and authentically arises while you are breathing.
Bring your awareness to your breathing without changing anything. Notice the quality of your breathing.
Then, start breathing in and out through the nose and make your breath slower and fuller than usual.
While you do this, stay with everything that arises – body sensations, feelings, thoughts, memories, visuals, and any type of spiritual experience that might arise.
If you feel like crying, just cry. If you feel like laughing, just laugh. You can also move, stretch, wriggle your fingers and toes and follow any prompts your body might give you.

Set a timer, or perhaps play a five-minute song to keep the time.

After this, journal:

How does what you experienced while you were breathing relate to your triggers, your overreaction, or your intention?

Ask yourself, was the experience:

Releasing: Any experience that is like an amplification of the trigger or overreaction
Insight: Any experience that brings awareness about why you do what you do

Anchoring: Any experience that is the embodiment of your intentions

Remember…

“The best way to ground down, connect with ourselves, feel calm, think clearer… is to take a slower, fuller than usual breath.” Being able to respond the way you want to is what an embodied understanding of the Nervous System gives you. Start with just one conscious breath. That’s all it takes to begin. With love and breath, Emma & Eleanor

Ready to Go Deeper?

Join The Reconnected Community!

When you join our book readers’ community, you’ll receive:

The Play Patterns Guide – Discover what your child’s play is telling you about their nervous system:

The 5 play patterns that show stress vs. regulation
How to “read” your child’s nervous system through their play
Simple ways to support regulation through Connected Play

PLUS Access to The Reconnected App – Join thousands of parents sharing their transformation:

Daily inspiration from other parents on the journey
Support when you hit those challenging moments
Celebration of your wins (big and small!)
Exclusive practices and integration sessions
Share your “aha!” moments and breathwork experiences

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Medical Disclaimer: As a beginner we recommend you never use Breathwork for longer than 15 minutes without an experienced guide, and if you are highly dysregulated in life or have a mental health disorder, please consult your primary care provider.

Hi, we are Eleanor and Emma, founders of Reconnected Parenting

Together, we have built a global community of families that are changing the course of their children's future, co-regulating more effectively, and forming new patterns in their homes.

Our methods are grounded in practical strategies and integrated practice. Between us, we have qualifications in breathwork, play therapy, psychology and counselling. Plus, 11 beautiful children that fuel our mission and inspire a legacy.

Reconnected Parenting was founded in 2019. It has been broadly recommended and now includes over 100k followers on Instagram and tens of thousands of new members each year.