Breathing exercises may once have been the preserve of yoga classes and certain fringe mind-body disciplines, but have become part of the repertoire for modern sports coaches, physical therapists and success coaches worldwide. Focusing on breathing helps you to regulate your relationship with your most basic fuel, oxygen, opening a range of possible beneficial results.
Stress Relief
A quick course of breathing exercises can help you refocus your attention when stress begins to get the better of you --- much like the "counting to 10" some mothers advise their children. In addition to just taking time out from a stressful situation, deep breathing exercises provide your brain with more oxygen to help solve the problem. A breathing exercise can also be a meditative practice --- focusing on the rhythm and timing of your breath gives your mind a rest from other things.
Cardiovascular Health
Breathing is what brings oxygen into your body. According to a study published in 2010 in the medical journal "Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia," subjects who engaged in focused breathing had better air flow than with regular diaphragmatic breathing. This increased air flow leads to increased saturation of your blood with oxygen. During times of exertion, this means more oxygen with every beat of your heart. While at rest, this leads to fewer heartbeats and less wear on your ticker.
Emotional Management
Although this may feel like stress relief at first blush, this aspect of breathing exercises actually goes beyond the stress emergency and into the factors that cause stress to begin with. By breathing as a meditation --- such as in Buddhist zazen practice or, author Bob Smith recommends in "Yoga For a New Age," with a sleep-like yoga nidra --- a person can work on personal problems by practicing non-attachment and focusing on deep personal issues. This kind of breathing exercise doesn't bring about its effects in the short term, but rather from regular practice.
Risks and Hazards
Breathing is generally a safe pastime, to say the least. However, those new to breathing exercises may experience dizziness, shortness of breath and even fainting spells as their bodies adjust to marked changes in air flow. For this reason, tai chi teacher Kerry Collette recommends that people new to breathing exercises conduct their first few sessions either sitting or lying down. You should also consult your doctor beforehand if you have any medical conditions that particularly affect deep breathing.
References
- "Yoga For a New Age"; Bob Smith; 1986
- Kerry Collette; Yoga Instructor; Hillsboro, Oregon
- "Jornal Brasileiro de Pneumologia"; Effects of Breathing Exercises on Breathing Pattern and Toracoabdominal Motion After Gastroplasty; G.M. Tomich, et al.; April 20102010
