Breathing keeps us alive by oxygenating the blood and therefore oxygenating all parts of the body. Correct breathing increases our metal and physical energy levels and restores calm and balance when we feel stressed. Correct breathing helps us eliminate toxins within the body.
Incorrect breathing can contribute to tiredness and stress and therefore leave us more susceptible to ill health. Poor breathing leaves toxins within our bodies.
The lungs and heart are closely related and the pulmonary arteries transport deoxygenated blood from the right chambers of the heart to the lungs for oxygenation and the pulmonary veins return the newly oxygenated blood to the left atrium to be pumped around the body. The faster we breath, the faster the heart has to beat, which in turn increases other organ functions within the body that can effect health and emotional well being.
The benefits of abdominal breathing:
Abdominal breathing contracts the diaphragm forcing it downward causing the abdomen to expand. This causes pressure within the chest forcing air into the lungs. The pressure also pulls blood into the chest improving the return of blood to the heart. This leads to improved stamina in both disease and athletic activity. Like blood, the flow of lymph, which is rich in immune cells, is also improved. By expanding the lung’s air pockets and improving the flow of blood and lymph, abdominal breathing also helps prevent infection of the lung and other tissues. But most of all it is an excellent tool to stimulate the relaxation response that results in less tension and an overall sense of well being.
An example of abdominal breathing technique:
Breathing exercises such as this can help whenever you find your mind dwelling on upsetting thoughts or when you are experiencing pain.
Find a place to lie back, relax and place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen. When you take a deep breath in, the hand on the abdomen should rise higher than the one on the chest. This insures that the diaphragm is pulling air deep into the lungs.
After exhaling, ideally through the mouth, take a slow deep breath in through your nose, for a count of 4, imagining that you are sucking in all the air in the room and hold it for a count of 2. Slowly exhale, ideally through your mouth, for another count of 4.
As all the air is released with relaxation, gently contract your abdominal muscles to completely remove the remaining air from the lungs. It is important to remember that we deepen respirations not by inhaling more air but through completely exhaling it.
Repeat this cycle four more times and try to fit the above into your schedule on a regular basis.
The benefits of chest expansion breathing exercises:
As above, all the benefits of abdominal breathing also apply to chest expansion breathing. However, chest expansion exercises are specifically designed to benefit people with poor posture, as they tend to have a closed ribcage. In completing the following exercises you are expanding your chest area and thereby training and improving your posture.
An example of chest expansion breathing techniques:
Apical breathing:
Sitting up straight in a chair, relax and place palms on chest just above the breast area with middle fingers touching. When you take a deep breath in, the upper part of the chest should expand to part the middle fingers. As you exhale the fingers should meet again.
After exhaling, ideally through the mouth, take a slow deep breath in through your nose, for a count of 4, imagining that you are sucking in all the air in the room and hold it for a count of 2. Slowly exhale, ideally through your mouth, for another count of 4.
As all the air is released, gently contract your abdominal muscles to completely remove the remaining air from the lungs. It is important to remember that we deepen respirations not by inhaling more air but through completely exhaling it.
written by Caroline Hudson