If someone asked you if you knew how to breathe, you'd probably laugh. It's something we do automatically and continuously from the moment we are born, to the moment we die. We do it without any conscious thought. Surely, if we didn't know to breathe, we'd be dead. We know we can't survive for more than a couple of minutes without breathing. So we have come to take our breath for granted.

However, somewhere along the line, we've forgotten how to breathe deeply. And it is this deep breath that fills us with life force and energy (called prana in yogic teaching). The more air we inhale the more oxygen we can take in. It oxygenates our blood, revitalising all the cells, organs and glands of the body, including the brain.

To See How It's Done Just Watch How Babies Breathe

If you look at babies breathing as they sleep, the first thing you notice is how their bellies move up and down to the rhythm of their breath. They are relaxed and breathing deeply. In our adult world this is not considered a good look. In the interests of looking good, we are continually being reminded to suck in our bellies. This makes deep breathing a well nigh impossible task.

Stress

We very rarely breathe deeply for a number of reasons. The most important of these is undoubtedly stress. When we are stressed, upset or scared we tense up and our breathing becomes shallow. In extreme cases, during an anxiety or panic attack, the lungs fill up with carbon dioxide and can't take in oxygen. And, as a result you feel as if you can't breathe. So learn to breathe again with this simple, but very powerful breathing exercise.

Deep Abdominal Breathing

Whenever you do a breathing exercise always start on the exhalation. This will eliminate all the carbon dioxide that may have collected in your lungs and make room for the introduction of fresh oxygen.

The breath should always be relaxed. If your shoulders are up by your ears you are tensing! Relax, and let those shoulders drop.

The Benefits

Deep abdominal breathing reverses the stress reaction by providing more oxygenation of the blood resulting in greater relaxation, better emotional balance and control, greater mental clarity and sharpness and greatly improved general health. In technical terms, it switches on the parasympathetic part of the involuntary nervous system, which allows the system to rest, relax and repair. Your lung capacity will gradually increase and so you will be able to exercise more without feeling winded.

Try it and see. Find a few minutes several times a day to practise 10 deep breaths... At your desk, when you go for a break, during your lunch hour. Any time is a good time to start breathing.

Vibrantly yours

Lucy

The Power Breath For High Blood Pressure, Cancer, Heart Disease
If you want to remind yourself of the importance of breathing, just stop!

Alternatively, you may prefer to read some of the quotes from eminent physicians listed below. They all agree that a sufficient supply of oxygen is critical to our health. And that all major illnesses, from high blood pressure to cancer to heart disease, can be directly linked to a lack of oxygen! (Or, just skip to the end for instructions on power breathing!)

Blood Pressure

"The relationship between breathing and blood pressure has been known and understood for a long time. It boils down to this: Elevated blood pressure accompanies those bodily states where rapid shallow breathing prevails. By altering breathing to a slow diaphragmatic mode, blood pressure decreases."
~ Robert Fried, PhD (The Breath Connection, Pg. 152.)

Cancer

"The first discovery was made by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Otto Warburg, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Cell Physiology in Berlin. He confirmed that the key precondition for the development of cancer is a lack of oxygen at the cellular level." ~Nathaniel Altman (Oxygen Healing Therapies, Pg. 66.)


Heart Disease

"Coronary heart disease is due to a lack of oxygen received by the heart."
~Dr. Dean Ornish

Detoxification

"One of the most overlooked benefits of extra oxygen in the tissues is their ability to detoxify more efficiently". ~ Dr. Kurt W. Donsbach, D.C., N.D., (Educator, Scientist, Lecturer, Consultant; and author of Super Health. "Oxygen-Oxygen-Oxygen".

"Illness is the result of improper removal of toxins from the body. Oxygen is the vital factor which assists the body in removing toxins." ~ Ed McCabe, ( Oxygen Therapies, A New Way of Approaching Disease).


Lymphatic System

"Jack Shield, MD, a Lymphologist from Santa Barbara, CA, conducted a study on the effects of breathing on the lymphatic system. Using cameras inside the body, he found that deep diaphragmatic breathing stimulated the cleansing of the lymph system by creating a vacuum effect which sucked the lymph through the bloodstream. This increased the rate of toxic elimination by as much as 15 times the normal pace." ~ "Lymph, Lymph Glands, and Homeostasis" 25 No. 4, Dec 92, Pg.147-153

Overcoming Disease

"All chronic pain, suffering, and diseases are caused by a lack of oxygen at the cell level."

Dr. Arthur C. Guyton, MD, author The Textbook on Medical Physiology.

The Power Breath

I was originally taught this exercise by Tony Robbins and I used to teach it to all my meditation students. One of my students who was recovering from breast cancer had been taught this exercise in the hospital!

The power breath uses deep abdominal breathing and breath retention. The most important thing to remember in any breathing exercise is not to strain. Just hold the breath as long as is comfortable, gradually as you relax and as your lung capacity increases, you will find that you can increase the count.

The exhalation in this exercise is twice as long as the inhalation. The ratio of the in breath, hold and exhale is 1:4:2. Start with a count of 3, hold for a count of 12 and breathe out for a count of 6 or a ratio of 3:12:6.

Then when you begin to relax gradually build up the time to inhale for a count of 5, hold for a count of 20 and exhale for a count of 10 or 5:20:10.

The Exercise

Always start on the exhalation to remove all excess carbon dioxide from your lungs, gently pull in the abdomen as you breathe out. Inhale for a count of 3 while allowing your abdomen to expand, bring the air upwards, allowing the rib cage to move to the side, then as you continue to breathe in allow the chest to expand.

Hold the breath for a count of 12. Then exhale for a count of 12, exhaling from the chest, allowing the rib cage and then the abdomen to go gently down. Repeat 10 times.

What better way to start the day than by filling your lungs with the maximum amount of oxygen. Awaken your body with 10 power breaths and repeat regularly throughout the day. Great when you're feeling a bit sluggish.

Give your body the oxygen it needs for optimum health and vitality. Breathe!!!
 

Vibrantly yours

Lucy