The Art of Breathing

Photo by Maria Obed

It's something we take for granted and it's not until it becomes more difficult, like when exercising, do most  people really think about breathing. Studies have shown that normally we only use about 1/3 of the capacity of our lungs. So is this a bad thing?
Not utilising the full potential of your lungs isn't harmful is it? Well obviously you can get along fine 'passive breathing' whereby you don't take any notice of how you are breathing. However there are many advantages to controlling your breathing:

• "Fast breathing rate is linked to high blood pressure
• Studies have shown deep breathing benefits asthma sufferers. 
• It also is a good way to reduce stress, if you are stressed, you breath in short, shallow bursts. To relax you do the opposite - breathing deeply and slowly. No-one likes stress, long periods of stress can seriously reduce your life expectancy, increasing the chance of a heart attack. Even in the short term it is linked to spots and hair loss.
• Deep breathing releases endorphins-the bodies own painkillers, into the system. This can help relieve headaches, sleeplessness, backaches and other stress related aches and pains.
• Deep breathing helps to clear and focus the mind and is the essence of meditation. Thinking of nothing except listening to your breathing is very relaxing, my mind is normally going 10,000 miles a minute and taking just that couple of minutes to free up some space is quite refreshing. I imagine it like a computer memory, constantly switching files in and out of memory to make more room.
• Deep breathing strengthens weak abdominal and intestinal muscles"

(http://www.path2healthyliving.com/breathing.html)

So how exactly do you control your breathing? Here's a step-by-step guide to how to control your breathing.

1. Slowly breath deeply in through your nose, filling your lungs with air. Feel your rib cage expand, you should also feel your stomach expand to accommodate for the extra air taken in. Try and take about 5 seconds of breathing in, over time and with practice this can increase as your lungs strengthen.
2. Breathe out through your mouth to about 70% of lung capacity and hold this for 10 seconds
3. Slowly exhale the rest of the air out, again this should last at least 5 seconds so that the body has the chance to absorb the oxygen into the blood.
4. Repeat about this 10 times about three times a day and slowly built this up it will become more of a habit after consciously thinking about breathing for a while.

I always recall watching hikers on mountain tops struggling for breath and then really being able to appreciate being able to breathe better when on the descent. I think of oxegen as like oil, a lubricant that makes us function smoothly, with that same rich texture. So get high on oxegen, it's by far the cheapest and most benefical drug out there.

Until next time, happy breathing