by cubes » March 5th, 2013, 2:59 am
I used to have a bit of trouble with that too. I felt like I only went deep when I was completely still, and every time I took a breath or was told by the hypnotist to take a breath, I got distracted. It was especially true with fast inductions, where there'd be a snap or trigger and I'd try to drop, but then stop breathing and then lose the depth when I had to breathe again.
I got over it when I learned that spending attention on making your breathing slow and steady is actually a great way to trance. There was a good file (I forget which) that has you focus on all aspects of breathing, bit by bit, covering everything from the feel of the cool air as you breathe in through your nose, to the rise of your chest, to the warm air as you breathe out through your mouth, and everything in between. I liked the idea that if I was a bit too warm I could focus on the cool air, and if I was chilly I could focus on the warm :)
If I ever feel like I'm over-analyzing a file now or am having trouble unwinding, I just pay attention to my breathing, don't care if I'm ignoring the audio or not, and it works wonders. Eventually you forget that you're thinking about breathing, like always.
So I think the solution is to warm up to the idea that paying deep attention to your body, including your breathing, can be part of a wonderful trance state. *Even* if a hypnotist tells you "you can't even feel your body anymore" or something like that, whatever response you have, including being fully aware of your body and breathing, is totally fine.
As for "breathing correctly", just breathe normally, maybe a little bit deeper and slower than normal, but don't sweat it. There's not a technique, just breathe and relax.
Good luck :)