Personally speaking – is there a special technique to breathing?

We all do it on average 20,000 times a day – but are we doing it right? Should we be concerned?Unless the afterlife has wifi I presume that you’re alive and reasonably well if you’re reading this post.  I can also assume that you breathe well enough to live. What could you possibly be missing? With a growing list of other life concerns is there a good chance we aren’t even breathing correctly? Is there a specific zen-like technique?

Makes sense to slow it down & breathe deeply in a yoga class or while meditating but what about general day to day activities?  What about when you have a doctor or dentist appointment and your heart races and your breathing increases.  How do you handle the anxiety?

Why is breathing properly important?

While most of us never give breathing a second thought, the way you draw breath can affect your physical and mental well being.

Breathing properly can reduce your stress levels, improve your workouts and boost your immunity to infections and illnesses. Poor breathing can lead to panic attacks and even conditions like insomnia and depression.

Breathing correctly means that our bodies are being supplied with the right amount of oxygen, replenishing our brain and other vital organs with essential nutrients.

If you are not breathing correctly, your body can be robbed of oxygen, leading to a host of conditions.

Your skin can suffer as it is not receiving enough fresh oxygenated blood, your muscles can tire easily during a workout as they are not getting the right amount of oxygen and you can feel constantly tired and lethargic because there are not enough vital nutrients being carried in the blood.

Breathing incorrectly can also affect the levels of carbon dioxide – or CO2 – in the blood. While oxygen is important for our bodies to function properly, CO2 is just as vital.

Fiona Agombar, a yoga teacher and author, explains, ‘You need a balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide. If you breathe too fast, you breathe off too much carbon dioxide, which, in turn, will make your whole system too alkaline.

‘A certain level of CO2 is necessary for your cells to maintain the correct level of acidity and to function properly.’

How can I breathe correctly?

To breathe properly, you need to use your diaphragm, the large sheet-like muscle that lies at the bottom of the chest cavity.

Slow, rhythmic breathing will help regulate the flow of oxygen and CO2, slow the heart rate – easing anxiety – and ensure your circulation is carrying the optimum amount of nutrients around the body.

Regulating your breathing will also help boost your performance during aerobic exercise as your muscles will be fully replenished with the right amounts of energy-giving oxygen.

Taken in part from the daily mail – uk

Breathe.

If you feel overwhelmed, breathe. It will calm you and release the tensions.

If you are worried about something coming up, or caught up in something that already happened, breathe. It will bring you back to the present.

If you are moving too fast, breathe. It will remind you to slow down, and enjoy life more.

Breathe, and enjoy each moment of this life. They’re too fleeting and few to waste.