Thursday, June 5, 2008

10 Tips About Breathing

10 Life Enhancing Facts About Deep Breathing

By Lauren Robins, author of The Palette of Breath

How often are you conscious of your breathing? Being mindful of deep breathing patterns has improved the health of people from all walks of life. Here are the facts.

1. Oxygen is your body's number one food.

Every one of your 75 trillion cells needs oxygen. Without the needed amount, your body doesn't function optimally and disease can occur. With it, your body is healthier, naturally supported, charged.

2. Shallow breathing can harm your body.

When the nervous system is stressed, shallow breathing occurs. This causes oxygen deprivation for the rest of your body. The nervous system leeches oxygen and burns it quickly. When stressed, deep breathing is your best ally.


3. Deep breathing aids in curbing digestive problems.

The esophagus goes through the diaphragm. The esophagus leads to the stomach. Tension in the stomach area and the diaphragm cuts off oxygen needed for proper digestion. This may cause indigestion, heartburn or acid reflux. Deep, belly breathing massages the diaphragm, aids in the movement of food to the stomach and supplies the oxygen needed for proper digestion.

Breathe deeply and slowly and notice the difference.

4. Deep belly breathing is heart medicine.

There are muscles connecting the heart to the diaphragm. Each deep and slow inhale and exhale massages the muscles around the heart. This enhances the circulatory system.

5. Laughter engages the healthy breath.

Laughter clears the body of stale air that sits at the bottom of the lungs. It is heavier than oxygen. Norman Cousins laughed himself well from a bout with cancer. "A merry heart does good like medicine, but a heavy heart drieth the bone." Old Testament


6. Deep breathing balances your body's chemical composition.

Shallow breathing makes your body more acidic. Viruses grow in an overly acidic environment. Deep, belly breathing alkalinizes the body. Andrew Weil MD states, "The simplest and most important technique for protecting your health is breathing."

7. Deep breathing enhances weight loss.

Oxygen burns fat. The more your deep breathe the more fuel you offer your body to burn this fat. Every successful, long lasting weight loss program has a breathing component within.


8. Deep breathing can reduce blood pressure.

All blood is oxygenated as it travels through your lungs. If there is more oxygen in the lungs then the heart doesn't have to pump as hard to oxygenate your body. "For high blood pressure, 'The Meninger Foundation in Kansas, uses deep breathing...90 per cent of the Foundation's high blood pressure patients shift their pressure to normal range' using this technique."


9. Shallow breathing and negative emotions go hand in hand.

Shallow breathing usually accompanies negative emotional states. Within seconds, emotional states release chemicals into your body. Negative emotions use these chemicals to deplete your body of its nutrients.


10. Your breath is your friend.

Breath is always there to nurture, feed and support your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Where you focus your breath is who you are in the world. Become friends with your breath. Cover your ears and listen. Is your breath deep and slow thus nurturing your entire body? Or is it jagged and shallow depleting you of the life enhancing opportunities it has to offer? Become friends with your breath. Listen to what it has to offer. It is one of your greatest teachers.

1 comment:

AZ fan said...

Zounds! You're now doing the zestful and zazzy linguini in cyberspace, and reminding us all of the importance of laughter and breath.

Many thanks.

AZ fan now in NM