stress relief

Tweet

It seems like deep breathing is one of the most important parts of yoga, but its also a crucial part of your physical and emotional health. Okay, brief anatomy lesson: the diaphragm is a structure that divides our heart and our lungs, as well as assisting in breathing. When we breathe, our diaphragm moves downward as we inhale and upward as we exhale. When we take a really deep breath, the diaphragm is able to move farther down towards the abdomen. The farther down the abdomen moves, the more our lungs are able to able to expand. Translation—with each deep breath, we are able to take in more oxygen and release more carbon dioxide. Yes, we need to breathe in order to live, but did you know most of us attempt deep breathing incorrectly? The first time I tried to take a deep breath, I ended up sucking in my stomach and raising my shoulders. Apparently, this is called “shallow breathing”. Deep breathing actually involves much more than a simple inhale and exhale. This is a handy quick and deep relaxation breath you can do any time you feel a little tense, whether you’re at work, at home, in traffic, in an elevator, or anywhere: Sit comfortably. Relax your arms and press your palms together. Slowly raise your hands upwards, keeping the palms together. As you do this, slowly inhale through your nose, counting to five. When you reach five, hold your breath and count to three. Slowly exhale from your mouth, counting out to five. As you do this, slowly lower your arms. So what’s the point? Well, deep breathing is very good for your health! The downward and upward movement of the diaphragm helps to massage many of your internal organs, particularly the stomach region. Deep breathing is a great way to flush harmful toxins out of these organs, promote blood flow, and improve your lymphatic system (which plays an important part in keeping you healthy). If you’re anything like me (read as: impatient and stressed), deep breathing is a great way to calm down. When we’re anxious, we tend to hyperventilate by breathing way too fast and increasing our blood pressure. In contrast, deep breathing helps us to slow down and turn on our parasympathetic nervous system (aka our “relaxation response”). By bringing our nervous system back to a healthy equilibrium, your body and mind will be much better off. In conclusion, yes, there is an art to deep breathing. But you don’t have to do yoga to reap its benefits. When you find yourself stressed, try to take a few slow inhales and exhales and watch your breath work its magic! 23 Aug, 2008 |Debra Sani i can't tell you how much I use this in my life and how often I say to people, SSTOP, just count your breath for a short time then we'll go on. It's like a miracle. Tension and anger just fade away. Try this you'll love it and so will your children, spouse and friends.