BREATHING sounds so easy. It is instinctive, after all. When little kids threaten parents who say no to their whims with not breathing, we laugh. No way can they hold it for long. The body will gasp for breath because life depends on it.
Breathing is a powerful tool often ignored and taken for granted. The full benefit of physical exercise can only be achieved when done with proper breathing. Breathe poorly and you are guaranteed to collapse no matter how cool you look in your gym outfit of the day (OOTD).
Meditation practice and self-reflection also begins with breathing exercises.
According to the American Lung Association in the article Why Breathing Exercises Help (www.lung.org), when you have healthy lungs, breathing is natural and easy. You breathe in and out with your diaphragm doing about 80 percent of the work to fill your lungs with a mixture of oxygen and other gases, and then to send the waste gas out. Lung HelpLine respiratory therapist Mark Courtney compares the process to a screen door with a spring, opening and shutting on its own.
"Our lungs are springy, like the door. Over time, though, with asthma and especially with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), our lungs lose that springiness. They do not return to the same level as when you start breathing, and air gets trapped in our lungs," Courtney explained.
Over time, stale air builds up, leaving less room for the diaphragm to contract and bring in fresh oxygen. With the diaphragm not working to full capacity, the body starts to use other muscles in the neck, back and chest for breathing. This translates into lower oxygen levels, and less reserve for exercise and activity. If practiced regularly, breathing exercises can help rid the lungs of accumulated stale air, increase oxygen levels and get the diaphragm to return to its job of helping you breathe.”
Various breathing exercises are now recommended by medical practitioners along with proper medication and healthy lifestyle. They have been proven effective (and inexpensive!) in addressing general anxiety, stress, and COPD which may include illnesses characterized by increasing breathlessness such as non-reversible asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
Here are three basic breathing exercises everyone can try:
1. The relaxing breathing or the 4-7-8 breathing
Feeling anxious, insecure, excited, or just blah? This breathing exercise helps focus your attention on the present by counting the seconds you inhale (four seconds slowly inhaling through your nostrils), hold your breath (seven seconds while lungs are full), and exhale (eight seconds of gradually releasing your breath through your mouth, making an audible sound). It also makes sure that oxygen stays in the lungs for a while to invigorate the brain and other senses.
2. The pursed lips breathing
This is the simplest to practice. Just breathe in through your nose and breathe out twice aslong through your pursed lips.
3. The Belly Breathing or the Diaphragmic breathing
The concentration here is in your belly. As you breathe in through the nose, pay attention to the rising motion, and as you exhale (taking twice or thrice as long as you inhale), notice the falling of the muscles near your diaphragm. Ensure that your neck and shoulders are relaxed.
Just like any exercise, effective breathing takes commitment and practice. Correct posture, whether sitting or lying down, must be observed. Schedule your breathing exercises so that it can be deliberately prioritized in your day. Practitioners recommend doing them upon waking up in the morning to set your mind and body for inner peace no matter what happens during the day, and before sleeping at night to ease the flow of rest and psychologically release unresolved issues.
We often hear the phrase “breath of life.” But breath IS life.
Since it is rooted in the truth of our being, in our wonderful ability to exist and live, taking a deep breath in whatever situation we find ourselves in is the immediate reprieve, refocusing, and refueling opportunity.