Breathing

I’ve been breathing all my life.  I think I’m pretty good at it!  It happens even when I’m not paying attention to it!  Thank goodness!  But when I really stop and focus on my breathing it’s obvious that I only use a small portion of my lungs.

Every time I go to my two Yoga classes I am struck by how very shallowly I breathe at times when I’m not there!  These classes have helped me in many ways but especially with something as automatic as breathing.

My teachers talk about breathing throughout the sessions.  We practice breathing.  We do breathing exercises.  We breathe deeply.  We’re even encouraged to make sound with our breath as we inhale and exhale.  Another suggestion that my teachers make during the yoga practice is to direct our breath into different areas of the body.  Such as; breath into your shoulders, or hips or anywhere you are feeling stiff or awkward.  Sounds kind of crazy but it works!

Why do we breathe?  When we inhale we take in oxygen and when we exhale we send out carbon dioxide.  Breathing keeps us alive by oxygenating the blood in our bodies.

Breathing, is described by many as the life force!

Important things to know about your breathing:

1.  Whatever you are thinking, feeling, seeing, hearing, tasting or touching your body will respond by adjusting your breath accordingly. It is intimately connected to your physical, emotional and spiritual state.

2.  Shallow or poor breathing can even slow our digestive process.

3.  Your nose is for breathing and your mouth is for eating!!  Those little hairs in your nose are there for a purpose.  They act as filters.  So when you breathe through your mouth you are not getting the benefit of those filters.  Nose breathing physiologically balances the oxygen and dioxide in our blood.

4. Become more aware of your breathing.  Is it shallow, fast, jerky, constricted or tight? If so you may be living your life constantly stressed out.  Try to be more conscious of your breathing.  Take a moment to readjust your breathing.  Take some deep breaths throughout your day.  It will make a difference!

Here’s a simple breathing exercise. This is a good exercise to use when you are nervous, anxious about something or you are feeling angry.

Take a few minutes to listen to your own breathing.  Don’t try to control it or change it, just listen.

After those few minutes start taking some deeper breathes.  Inhale deeply and exhale fully.

On your inhale let your tummy expand as you count to 6.

Hold your inhale for a count of 4.

Exhale completely on the count of 6.

Do this three times.

At the end of this exercise you should feel calmer and more relaxed.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to visit the following website.  It focuses on breathing!   www.doasone.com

Just one more time… inhale, hold, exhale… have a calmer day.