Breathing

Correct breathing is the key to calming mind and body.How you breathe reflects your health and how you feel about yourself.Your breathing becomes shallow and rapid when you are anxious, but slow and deep when you are at ease.Years of stress and poor lifestyle mean that rapid,shallow breathing is the norm for most of us.

Breathing is essential to life.As you breathe,oxygen is taken into the bloodstream and fuels the production of energy that enables your body to function.Breathing is an automatic,involuntary activity,but it can be consciously controlled.In times of acute stress,taking a minute to slow down and control your breathing will calm you instantly.

The effect of poor breathing

When stress levels rise,breathing tends to use only the top third of the lungs.There is a drop in levels of carbon dioxide,which is needed to maintain blood acidity and harmful toxins are not breathed out.This has a direct detrimental effect on the nerves and muscles,and may result in tiredness,palpitations,and panic attacks.If you learn to breath properly,these conditions can be alleviated and you will also benefit from a lower heart-rate,reduced blood pressure,and lower levels of stress hormones.So there are many benefits of learning to breathe correctly.

How to breathe

To improve your breathing you must first become aware of it.If you find your breathing is too fast ot too shallow,the following exercise-known as abdominal breathing-will help you breathe more naturally.It uses the diaphragm (the sheet of muscle forming the top of the abdomen) to enable the lungs to inflate and deflate with minimal effort.

1- Sit in a comfortable position with your eyes open or closed.Place one hand on your chest and the other over your diaphragm just below the breastbone.Breath in slowly through your nose, and try to breathe so that the hand on your chest remains relatively still

2- Hold your breathe for a few seconds,then breathe out slowly through your nose.Release as much air as possible.

3- Repeat for a few minutes until you feel calm.

Alternate nostril breathing

Blow your nose to clear the nasal passages.Place your forefinger and second finger on your forehead ,with the thumb and third and third finger on either side of your nose.Close your left nostril,then inhale through your left.Close your left nostril,release and exhale through your right nostril.Continue to breathe in and out through alternate nostrils.This exercise helps you become aware of each breath ,but stop if you feel dizzy.

!Tip:Alternate nostril breathing can help you achieve mental balance and clarity.

@blog @health @life