When was the last time you actually stopped and examined the way you were breathing? ……That long ago, huh?

Why is breathing so important? Is there a proper way to breathe? What does taking deep breaths do to the brain and body? Can we change the way we breathe?

I don’t think many people, even those who are health conscious, really understand just how important breathing is, and how much we are actually limiting our breathing these days and causing harm to our mental, emotional and physical health because of it. I am hoping to take a little more in-depth look at what breathing is and how we can improve it for better health.

How Breathing Works:

Wait a minute…don’t we know how breathing works? After all, we all do it all day every day without even thinking about it. Well, that’s part of the problem. We don’t even think about it. Something that seems to be done so easily and without much thought…we tend to take for granted. Our body does it naturally, so we don’t even put any thought into how it does it. Nor do we truly understand just how important proper breathing is for our health. Yes, that’s right, breathing WRONG can hurt you!

Under normal circumstances, with the help of our diaphragm, we inhale to get oxygen and exhale to rid our body of carbon dioxide through the lungs.

But when we’re stressed, anxious or upset, the way we breathe changes. Instead of deep, lung-filling breaths, we start taking short, shallow breaths. Instead of our diaphragm doing the heavy lifting, we use our shoulders to inhale and exhale, which can make anxious feelings even worse. Using specific breathing techniques and breath control, however, means that you’re paying more attention to your breathing and being mindful about the way you breathe in and out.

Benefits of Mindful Breathing:

-Mental Clarity/Brain Health – Getting more, and better, oxygen to your brain is very beneficial to a healthy brain and clear mind. Mindful breathing switches on the parasympathetic nervous system, which calms the stress-inducing neurotransmitters, leading to relaxation and a quiet mind.

-Pain Relief – Have you ever thought about why we are told how to breathe when we are struggling with bad stomach pains, or when pregnant women are going through labor? When our bodies are in pain, our muscles tend to tighten up, which can often times make pain worse. Mindful breathing techniques can help to relax our muscles and ease the pain. We can stop fighting the pain (which really makes it worse) and start working with it.

-Heart Health – Practicing proper breathing techniques and exercises can help to lower blood pressure and promote cardiovascular health. In 2013 the American Heart Association recommended breathing exercises as another way (beyond medicine and diet) to control blood pressure.

-Better Posture – Poor posture is caused by a number of things, but it can also be linked to your breathing! The neck, back and chest muscles play a role in facilitating breathing in those with an under-functioning diaphragm. You may notice you start to sit or stand straighter as you learn to breath better. It leads to better movement, too, as muscle tension is reduced, and the weight on joints is more evenly distributed.

-Detoxification and a Better Immune System – Oxygen is essential to carry nutrients around our bodies. Proper breathing supports our lymphatic system, which is a very important part of cleansing the body of bacteria, viruses, and other potential health issues. If we don’t efficiently remove carbon dioxide through breathing, other organs must take over the task, causing additional stress and increasing our risk of illness.

-Stress/Anxiety – Have you ever found yourself taking a couple deep breaths when you are super tense, nervous or in a heated argument? Have you ever thought about doing that long term? When we’re stressed, our brain releases cortisol. Breathing deeply and mindfully, you are telling your brain to calm down and relax. Allowing more oxygen to enter our body it frees up pathways to remove the stress-hormone from our system. This results in deeper breathing, a slower heart rate and a sense of calm.

Types of Breathing Exercises:

-Pursed Lip Breathing – Pursed lip breathing is a technique that allows you to control your oxygenation and ventilation. When you purse your lips and draw out your exhalation, it stimulates the autonomic nervous system and promotes relaxation. It removes stale air that can become trapped in the lungs, and it decreases the amount of breaths you take in an effort to get enough oxygen.

1. You want to release tension from your body. Sit up straight, relax your shoulders and release your tongue from the roof of your mouth.
2. Inhale deeply through your nose for about 2 seconds.
3. Purse your lips and breathe out slowly for about 5 seconds.

-Yoga Breathing – This technique is used for focus and relaxation. It sounds a little weird, but you’ll get the hang of it. And you can see why people do it to help focus on the present ­— it’s hard to think of anything else when you’re wondering which nostril is next!

1. Start on the right side. Place your right thumb over your right nostril as you breathe in through the left nostril.
2. Take your right ring finger and place it over your left nostril as you exhale from the right one.
3. Leave your ring finger where it is over the left nostril and inhale from the left.
4. Then switch to the right side. Put your thumb over the right nostril and exhale through the left.

-4-7-8 Breathing – This is proclaimed as one of the best techniques to help you get to sleep. Because you have 8 counts to let the breath out, you’re forced to slow down your breathing. This slows down the heart rate and helps you relax.

1. Exhale through your mouth and then close it and inhale through your nose for 4 seconds.
2. Hold the breath in for 7 seconds.
3. Release it in 8 seconds, and repeat at least three times.

-Diaphragmatic Breathing – Also known as “rib cage breathing”, Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of deep breathing technique that uses the diaphragm, causing your lower torso to expand and then relax as air moves in and out of the lungs. Your belly moves during this breathing but your chest does not rise.

1. Practice at first while laying down on your back with your knees bent.
2. Put one hand on your chest and the other below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm as it moves with the breathing.
3. Breathe in through your nose slowly, counting up to 10 if possible as you inhale. The hand on your chest should stay still, but you should feel the hand on your rib cage move as your diaphragm expands.
4. Tighten your stomach muscles as you exhale through your mouth. Let your diaphragm relax. Try to fully breathe out (counting up to 10, if possible) before inhaling again.

-Breath Counting –  This is another technique for relaxation that will help to keep your mind from wandering too far. You’ll be surprised at how much concentration it will take to keep yourself on count.

1. Sit comfortably with your eyes closed and take a few deep breaths, then settle into a pattern of “normal” breathing.
2. When you exhale, count “one.” The next time, count “two.”
3. Do this until you have exhaled and counted to five, then start the pattern over.