Are You Breathing Correctly? Breathing Exercises may help you figure it out. I know it may sound stupid but even though we do it almost every moment of our lives, most of us do not breathe properly. I have learned a lot about breath control through meditation and yoga but I am going to break it down as simply as possible.
First, Air is the MOST important substance you put in your body. We spend time learning to eat right and drinking water so why shouldn't we learn to breathe right. ALWAYS REMEMBER...You can go 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water but only 3 minutes without air... So which do you think is most important?
You should always try to breath in and out through your nose. If during exercise you cannot continue to do this then breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Lastly breathe in and out through your mouth only if absolutely necessary. Learning to control your breath during exercise will ultimately result in better stamina and shorter recovery times needed.
You should not hear yourself breathing. If you do it properly the air will quietly and easily move through through your nose and into your lungs. I know it sounds weird but find a quiet place and practice breathing correctly. Soon you will find that when done correctly there is almost no effort needed to breathe properly.
Most people breathe from the upper part of their chest (high breathing) and don't even realize this is not correct. High breathing is characterized by your chest (ribs) expanding and your shoulders going up. While this is a part of breathing it is really only the last little bit of the entire breath.
A proper breath begins way down low just below the belly button (low breathing). If you look at a diagram of your diaphragm it is a sheet like a muscle that goes across the bottom of your lungs. Your breath should begin with the diaphragm being pulled downward into the abdomen. This results in your lower stomach being pushed outward.
As the air starts to come into your lungs it fills the very bottom or your lungs first and then starts to move up. When you feel the belly expand completely you slowly allow the rest of your abdomen to expand. After your abdomen has fully expanded then you allow your rib cage to expand and finally finishing as your shoulders raise until your entire lungs are filled from bottom to top. Then simply exhale (From bottom to top). This simple and easy breathing exercise is what is referred to as a complete breath.
When you are doing daily activities you should try to focus on deep breathing only but as activity increases you will need to move up to complete breaths to keep up with oxygen demands.
NOTE: I have noticed in times of stress, anxiety etc. I tend to start high breathing. If I take the time to change and start low breathing then I usually start to feel more relaxed and less stressed. Start paying attention in your every day life and see if these breathing exercises can help you relax a little.
