Sitting up tall, take a deep breath. Feel your stomach inflate, lungs fill and rib cage expand. Hold it. Now, slowly exhale and relax. If you are feeling better than you were, you have just experienced one of the benefits of this simple practice. The art of deep breathing, with an array of techniques, is the basis for a variety of mind/body formats, such as yoga, Pilates and tai chi.
Reduces Stress Levels
When you find yourself overwhelmed, it may be time for a self-check. If stress is getting the upper hand in your life, take back control by incorporating deep breathing practice in your workouts. The Mayo Clinic recommends yoga as a stress-management tool and mode of relaxation since it offers controlled-breathing exercises throughout the workout.
Reduces Pain, Anxiety and Fear
With the advent of natural childbirth, attention was given to preparing the mother to deal with the pain of birth in natural, non-intrusive ways. The American Pregnancy Association teaches mothers-to-be varied breathing patterns, including deep breathing. "Patterned breathing is helpful when experiencing various types of pain, discomfort, anxiety or fear. After reading this information, you will want to put patterned breathing into practice during every day stressors," the association says.
Oxygenates the Organs
The average adult, in a resting state, breathes about 15 times per minute. Those breaths are responsible for providing the entire body's energy supply through the consumption of oxygen and production of carbon dioxide. The "breath of life" occurs every time you inhale and exhale as millions of alveoli in the lungs and the capillaries that envelop them exchange the two gases. As a result, when you breathe deeply, you ensure that well-oxygenated blood is delivered to the cells of the organs in the body.
Member Comments