health & sanity

I recently went to a health confrence and the whole deep breathing idea was definatly brought to my attention. The speaker made me realize that I was consstantly in a state of shallow breathing. This could be the source or a big part of my problems that I have. Along with my own knowlege of breathing (from taking singing lessons for many years) and some net research I think I came up with a good summary and instruction guide for deep breathing.

Benefits of Deep Breathing:

Air is our most important nutrient that we need. We can go a long long time without water or food but not too long without air. So we can see that breathing is definatly an important part of our day. The most important part of our day.

Our shallow breathing style can lead to many health problems. When we starve ourselves from oxygen and don’t properly expel carbon dioxide, our brains get sluggish and that can lead to low energy, depression, sad thoughts and will eventually bring you hearing and vision loss!! It can also bring on heart problems and strokes. Studies have also shown that it plays a MAJOR roll in cancer. These are just major problems that can occure. Think about all the other things in your body that need oxygen (everything).

Why We Don’t Breathe Properly These Days:

The speaker at the conference calls shallow breathing “computer breathing”. We are hunched over at our desks and our posture does not allow for proper air flow. We are always on the go and full of stress, we never take the time to relax and just breathe. Stress and constant busyness can lead to shallow breathing.

How to Breathe:

The number one thing when breathing is that you should be breathing into your stomach. It should expand when you breathe in and contract when you breathe out. If you notice your shoulders or chest moving up then you are doing it wrong and try again. A slight expansion in the chest is normal but only slight. It drives me nutso when I see people trying to breathe and their shoulders go up to their ears. You should also feel the breath stretching out your lower back a little as well. If you’re breathing wrong you really should try and change your habits because you’re not getting every breath’s full potential. Make sure you breath through your nose as much as you can as well.

Getting Started with Deep Breathing:

Lay on your back with your knees bent, this is a great position to get your lungs full. Breath in through your nose and feel your stomach expand out. Stay relaxed and make sure you fill up all of your lungs. Now you need to hold your breath for a count of 20 but make sure it’s a very fast 20, count like you counted when you were little and playing hide and seek (as fast as you can). Then blow the air out through your mouth like you are blowing through a straw. Repeat this 30 times every day and more if you think about it. Make sure to take caution upon rising after your breathing exercises, you might feel slightly light-headed. I like doing this before bed because I am laying down already. It is very relaxing but it feels like it excites your body at the same time. I think it makes me feel more alive and alert without the stress.

Please check out my sources for more exercises and more info. I’ve only hardly touched on the subject and there’s more to learn. I just wanted to excite people’s attention on the subject.

Sources:
http://www.holisticonline.com/Yoga/hol_yoga_breathing_Importance.htm
http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:Z2eZgDkACXsJ:www.dartmouth.edu/~acskills/docs/deep_breathing.doc+deep+breathing+exercises&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=safari
http://www.deepsloweasy.com/html/intro.htm