Most of us are shallow breathers. I know I am when I'm not paying attention. And really, how many of us actually pay attention to our breathing? Does it matter? Many people seem to think so.
What difference does it make if you're a deep or shallow breather? Isn't breathing still breathing? Deep breathing is important because it makes your lymphatic system more effective. (How is it more effective? You can find the technical details here.) This system is responsible for cleansing the toxins from your system. Lymph nodes produce substances that fight off bacteria, viruses and cancer.
From an Eastern medical perspective, breathing incorrectly can produce tension, exhaustion, vocal strain, interfere with athletic activity and encourage aches and illnesses. In contrast, deep breathing raises levels of blood oxygen, promoting health in many ways — from stimulating the digestive process to improving fitness and mental performance.
If you're wondering whether or not you're breathing incorrectly, here's how to find out: Put your palms against your lower abdomen and blow out all the air. Now, take a big breath. If your abdomen expands when you inhale and air seems to flow in deeply to the pit of your stomach, you're on the right track. Shallow breathers tend to take a breath and pull in their stomach, which pushes the diaphragm up so the air has nowhere to go. What happens next is that the shoulders go up to make room. This causes extra tension in the shoulders over the course of the day.
For proper deep breathing, lower the diaphragm muscle by expanding the abdomen. When this happens, the lungs elongate and draw in air. You don't breathe into the abdomen; you allow it to expand comfortably all around its circumference — back, sides and front. It's not quite the rigid, lady-like, stomach-in posture we've been been taught since childhood. We're not statues. We need to fight the urge to constantly suck in our stomachs when we breathe. Try it out. You might start feeling more alert and energetic, and who doesn't need that?
4 comments:
You actually write this? Wow this is soooo different from the YOU that I know. Guess you are multifaceted.
This is a lot more boring, isn't it?
A girl in my speech class did a speech on being healthy and she talked a lot about breathing. I didn't realize it was such a big deal.
The Eastern approach to medicine sees everything all tied together. Breathing affects everything, so improving one thing could subtly (sp?) improve all your bodily functions.
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