The Power of the Breath

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Good morning, are you feeling more relaxed? I know I have mentioned the importance of paying attention to your breath before but today I want to explain why self-breathing is so important and tell you how to take control of your breath. Deep diaphragmatic breathing, also known as Pranayma breathing, has been used for centuries in yoga to help relax the body, clear the mind and deepen the mind-body connection. However, research has now found that Pranayman breathing can positively effect immune function, psychological stress, anxiety and even asthma and hypertension. The exact mechanics are not yet fully understood; however, we know that by taking control of our breath we are able to override the sometime overactive sympathetic ventilatory control response. In fact, this is the ONLY visceral function we can voluntarily control, how empowering! Here’s how you can take advantage of the Power of Your Breath:

1. First start by taking some normal breaths through your nose and simply pay attention to your breath.

2. At rest, you breathe by passively activating your external intercostals and diaphragm. To maximize the power of your breath, you want to visualize filling your abdomen, then the bottom of your lungs, then the middle lungs, and finally the top of the lungs with air.

3. Place your hands on either side of your ribcage at the bottom of your sternum. When you breath, you should feel your ribcage expand out and to the sides (lateral ribcage expansion).

4. Practice breathing slowly and deeply, breathing in and out of your nose both laying down, sitting, and standing up. Use the visualization and rib cage expansion methods discussed above.

5. Whenever you are feeling stressed, anxious or overwhelmed, pay attention to how your sympathetic response automatically increases your breathing frequency. Try to override that response by taking control of your breath and slowing it down by breathing deeply.

Establish a habit of taking a few minutes out of your day to take control of your body through self-breathing. Begin to feel less stressed and less anxious!