Your breath is a phenomenal bridge between the conscious and unconscious because the respiratory system is both voluntary and involuntary. You don’t have to remind yourself to breathe, it just happens. But when we are mindful of our breathing we can tap into energy in the unconscious realm. Whatever state you are in, your breath will follow. If you are anxious your breath will be quick and shallow, if you are calm and relaxed your breath will be long and deep. You can also breathe to encourage different states. If you want the breath to take you to a relaxed state you can start breathing long deep full breaths and it will send signals to the brain to calm you down. This is very helpful for birthing women because the deep breath along with the sound enhances the trance state during labor.
Ways to incorporate deep breathing include bringing soothing familiar scents into the room and taking long slow deep full inhales and exhales. I love having my diffuser with frankincense or gentle baby oil running when giving birth. The smell just invites me to breathe well.