Day 202 of 365 - Inhale Energy, Exhale Stress
Have you ever watched a baby breathe while they are sleeping? It's usually so deep and rhythmic that it's mesmerizing and soothing. It's part of what makes it hard to put a sleeping baby down.
Likewise, have you ever slept beside, or observed an adult who frequently takes long pauses in breathing and then sputters or snorts when they resume?
Everyone knows breathing is essential, but it's so automatic that we often don't pay much attention to how we do it. For me, it's usually reminders in yoga class or while listening to a guided meditation, which increase my awareness.
How we breathe affects how oxygenated our blood becomes. It can increase or decrease our stress responses, dependent on whether it is rapid and shallow or slow and deep. Our breathing affects the quality of our energy, our ability to mentally focus, and how well we sleep, among other things.
Most of us don't breathe deeply enough to exchange the air in the lower part of the lungs. When a baby's tummy expands with breath, it is filling the entire lungs. Adults mainly breathe in the chest area, which is less efficient. Slow, deep breathing causes a release of endorphins, the feel good chemicals in the brain.
Nose breathing, rather than mouth breathing, is also preferable for many reasons. The nose acts as a filter and warming chamber. Through evolutionary mechanisms, there is also a connection between nasal breathing and brain function. Apparently, there is a natural tendency for one nostril to predominate over the course of the day, and it will switch from time to time. If you want to activate the left side of the brain for mathematical or language related work, a few minutes of breathing through the right nostril while gently pressing the left one closed will work. Conversely, to activate the creative right side of the brain, breathe through the left nostril.
There are many types of breathing techniques, which may seem complex or intimidating but, there are a couple of simple ones which most people can easily do. The first is to breathe more deeply than usual and the second is, to exhale longer than you inhale. Doing a count in your head to achieve this is helpful. When we are upset, angry or stressed, in only three or four breaths we can begin to feel better and reverse the stress response. When you establish a nice rhythm, and do it for at least five minutes, it has a very calming effect. The lengthy exhalation is the key to slowing down the heart rate and reducing blood pressure.
Another simple, cleansing and relaxing breath is to inhale deeply through the nose, then exhale through the mouth as if blowing out a candle. Do this a few times, followed by inhaling deeply, then sighing to release tension.
Finally, let's not forget the benefits of breathing in cleaner air in natural environments like the seashore or in the woods. Those areas are high in healthy oxygen-negative ions which re-energize us. Hence, the traditional curative remedy of 'taking the air' at the seaside to recover from illness. The air is abundant in those ions after a rainstorm, at waterfalls and in other places where water smashes against rocks, creating a mist.
Breath can be used for enhanced integration of life experiences. There is a connection between breath and our experience of daily activities. Regular practice brings predictable results. Simply choosing to implement one of the above simple practices while waiting in traffic or a long line-up can have beneficial results.
May we all learn to sleep and breathe like babies again. Wouldn't that be lovely?
(Some ideas for this post came from a book called Breathe In, Breathe Out by James E. Loehr and Jeffrey A. Migdow.)
Likewise, have you ever slept beside, or observed an adult who frequently takes long pauses in breathing and then sputters or snorts when they resume?
Everyone knows breathing is essential, but it's so automatic that we often don't pay much attention to how we do it. For me, it's usually reminders in yoga class or while listening to a guided meditation, which increase my awareness.
How we breathe affects how oxygenated our blood becomes. It can increase or decrease our stress responses, dependent on whether it is rapid and shallow or slow and deep. Our breathing affects the quality of our energy, our ability to mentally focus, and how well we sleep, among other things.
Most of us don't breathe deeply enough to exchange the air in the lower part of the lungs. When a baby's tummy expands with breath, it is filling the entire lungs. Adults mainly breathe in the chest area, which is less efficient. Slow, deep breathing causes a release of endorphins, the feel good chemicals in the brain.
Nose breathing, rather than mouth breathing, is also preferable for many reasons. The nose acts as a filter and warming chamber. Through evolutionary mechanisms, there is also a connection between nasal breathing and brain function. Apparently, there is a natural tendency for one nostril to predominate over the course of the day, and it will switch from time to time. If you want to activate the left side of the brain for mathematical or language related work, a few minutes of breathing through the right nostril while gently pressing the left one closed will work. Conversely, to activate the creative right side of the brain, breathe through the left nostril.
There are many types of breathing techniques, which may seem complex or intimidating but, there are a couple of simple ones which most people can easily do. The first is to breathe more deeply than usual and the second is, to exhale longer than you inhale. Doing a count in your head to achieve this is helpful. When we are upset, angry or stressed, in only three or four breaths we can begin to feel better and reverse the stress response. When you establish a nice rhythm, and do it for at least five minutes, it has a very calming effect. The lengthy exhalation is the key to slowing down the heart rate and reducing blood pressure.
Another simple, cleansing and relaxing breath is to inhale deeply through the nose, then exhale through the mouth as if blowing out a candle. Do this a few times, followed by inhaling deeply, then sighing to release tension.
Finally, let's not forget the benefits of breathing in cleaner air in natural environments like the seashore or in the woods. Those areas are high in healthy oxygen-negative ions which re-energize us. Hence, the traditional curative remedy of 'taking the air' at the seaside to recover from illness. The air is abundant in those ions after a rainstorm, at waterfalls and in other places where water smashes against rocks, creating a mist.
Breath can be used for enhanced integration of life experiences. There is a connection between breath and our experience of daily activities. Regular practice brings predictable results. Simply choosing to implement one of the above simple practices while waiting in traffic or a long line-up can have beneficial results.
May we all learn to sleep and breathe like babies again. Wouldn't that be lovely?
(Some ideas for this post came from a book called Breathe In, Breathe Out by James E. Loehr and Jeffrey A. Migdow.)
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