The simple act of breathing

One of the things all of us take for granted in life is the simple act of breath
ing. Sure, we know that without it we would not live but it is one of those thin
gs that happen unconsciously, automatically as we go about our lives. However, j
ust by concentrating on our breathing technique, you can reap exceptional benefi
ts. Here are 17 things I bet you never knew about breathing...
Conscious Breathing
We are continually instructed to breathe consciously when we are in yoga class. Br
eathing consciously is the essence of yoga as it assists us in connecting with t
he subtle energy within. It is through the breath that we are able to navigate d
ifferent levels of consciousness. Moreover, breathing consciously has a biologic
al effect on our mental, emotional, and physical state.
It makes you comfortable with your past
Connecting with your breath is a method for being present. When you concentrate
on each aspect of the breathing process, you are present; you let go of the past
and future and are focused on the moment inside the breath. This is why breathi
ng consciously is its own meditation.
Breath = Life
If I come up to you and close your nose, you will fight for breath. Our energy l
evel depends in a big part on our breath. The better (fuller) you breathe, the m
ore energy you will have. Taking deeper breaths will bring in more oxygen in to
the body and improve your energy levels. Think oxygen cafe!
Slower Breaths mean Better Relationships
Most relationships would be better if people were less reactive. The state of yo
ur mind affects the breath the reverse is true as well. When you are angry are b
reath is fast and shortened. When you are relaxed, your breath is slow and compl
ete. The next time you are arguing with someone try taking longer deeper breaths
. Notice how that can quickly reduces anger and allows you to look at the situat
ion from a new perspective!
Deep Breathing relieves pain
Studies have proved it yet when we feel pain our instant unconscious reaction is
to hold our breath. Remember that breathing deeply and breathing into pain will
help to release it. Deep breathing releases endorphins which are the body s natur
al feel good pain killers.
Deep Breathing helps to improve your posture
Bad posture is often directly linked with incorrect breathing. Try it yourself a
nd as you practise breathing deeply watch how you naturally straighten up. Filli
ng your lungs encourages you to straighten your spine and stand or sit taller.
Deep Breathing helps to regulate weight
If you are underweight, the extra oxygen will help to feed the cells and tissues
. If you are overweight it will assist with weight loss. The extra oxygen in the
body will help to burn up excess fat more efficiently. When we are stressed, an
d most of us live day to day in a fairly stressed state, your body tends to burn
glycogen instead of fat. Deep breathing triggers the relaxation response which
encourages the body to burn fat instead.
It helps you move

Focus on breath while making movements also helps in controlling the movements,
which reduce the chances of injury. The muscles work in a systematic way with gr
eater coordination with nervous system. Neuro - muscular coordination is better.
Yoga recommends smooth, relaxed awareness of inhalation and exhalation during t
he practice. The mind is focused and the awareness can be concentrated on the po
sitive thoughts.
For a healthy heart
Coherent breathing is basically breathing at a rate of five breaths per minute,
which is the middle of the resonant breathing rate range. I achieve this if I co
unt to five inhaling and count to five exhaling. The five-minute rate maximizes
the heart rate variability (HRV), a measurement of how well the parasympathetic
nervous system is working. The higher the HRV the better, because a higher HRV i
s associated with a healthier cardiovascular system and a stronger stress-respon
se system.
In case you are nervous
I used to get pretty nervous before many meetings in the past. One the things th
at really helped me to turn that around and to have more fun and success in soci
al situations was to use conscious breathing. By doing so I was able to calm dow
n both my body and mind and return to the healthier present moment, instead of b
eing lost in destructive thoughts.
Your breath responds to you
Your breath is the first thing to respond in your body. Your breath will respond
and adjust according to what you are thinking, feeling, observing, hearing, tas
ting, touching, sensing or experiencing at the time. It is intimately connected
to your physical, emotional and spiritual state.
What is the depth of your inhale?
Does your normal inhale only reach the middle or upper area of your chest? Or is
your normal inhale even shorter stopping around your shoulder, neck and throat
area? This is a great place to start developing a greater understanding of your
breath by focusing on the depth of your inhale. A full inhale should fill your l
ungs and expand your abdomen.
70% of waste is eliminated through your breath
70% of our body s waste products are eliminated via our lungs and the rest through
the urine, skin and feces. When the efficiency of our lungs is reduced due to p
oor breathing less oxygen is available to our cells, it slows down the flow of b
lood which carries wastes from the kidneys and lungs. Our lymphatic system which
fights off viral and bacterial invaders is weakened along with a slower digesti
ve process.
Quality breathing can release fear, anger and sadness
Your breath will become disturbed when experiencing stressful emotions. To prev
ent these unwanted emotions from being pushed down and trapped in your body, sim
ply breathe into your organs. Breathe into your lungs to remove sadness and grie
f. Breathe into your kidneys to dissolve fear. Breathe into your liver to dissol
ve anger. Breathe into your heart to open yourself up to more loving experiences
.
Your breath activates your nervous system
When the sympathetic nervous system is activated you are living life with the ac
celerator on full throttle all the time. You are in fight or flight mode and consta
ntly releasing stress into your body. On the other hand, the parasympathetic ner

vous system is like putting the brake on to life. It helps slow your body down whi
ch in turn allows restoration and rejuvenation. The key to activating your paras
ympathetic nervous system is to place your full attention onto your breath.
Your body can t relax if your mind and breath are racing
Your thoughts are directly linked to the quality of your breathing. Busy, overa
ctive thinking often means short, shallow and quick breathes. By focusing on cal
ming your mind you will automatically be calming your breath and in turn relaxin
g your body.
Shallow breathing causes memory loss
The Taoists believe that loss of oxygen though shallow breathing ie. your inhal
e only goes as deep as your throat or top of your lungs, is the primary cause of
memory loss in the elderly. Not sure how true this is, and I can t even remember
where I read it but, nevertheless I included it anyway as it certainly got me th
inking. Worth exploring.