You need it all the time. If you were to go without it for a small duration, you would die. You don’t care if you’re addicted because you can’t survive without it anyway. You take it in and are never satiated. You always want more. You are hooked on something you can’t see. Something you must keep replenishing forever. Before everything else, you need air. You need to breathe.
Humans are land-based mammals. We have lungs and those lungs need air. We can control our breathing but most of the time the process is involuntary. We don’t think about breathing because we do it regardless of conscious thought. When we’re under water we think about breathing. We notice our breathing when we yawn. Breathing comes to mind when our heart is racing or our adrenaline’s pumping. We miss clear breathing when we have the flu or allergy attacks. We notice the cold breaths and hot breaths. We are parched by dry air and muffled by humid. Breathing is what we do. It’s who we are. It’s not that we forget to breathe. What we forget is that with each breath comes a fresh chance to take in the good and exhale the bad.
Yes. You are correct. This is another one of those wacky new-age breathing exercise articles. Laugh all you want. Just don’t forget to breathe. Have you ever laughed so hard, you can’t catch your breath? Ever get a little scared when that happens? If you knew the basic steps of breath control, you wouldn’t panic. If you find yourself in a real panic situation, perhaps these steps could save your life.
I don’t have to tell you that your body needs air. I don’t have to tell you that your lungs expand with that air and the oxygen is absorbed into the body. I don’t have to tell you that emotions like panic and fear and anger can be controlled and tamed with a few deep breaths. You know this already. My goal is to show you how to perform a breathing exercise simply and efficiently.
1. Posture is Everything.
Physiology 101: You breathe better with a straight spine. When you’re hunched over, your lungs are hunched over. The best position for satisfactory breathing is standing one. If you can’t stand, at least sit up tall and vertical. Lying flat on your back is sufficient but standing is best.
When I say gut, I don’t mean your stomach. I’m talking about your pelvic muscles, just under your stomach. Tighten your pelvic muscles before you breathe in. You don’t have to tense up so hard it hurts. Just tighten up down there.
Let your pelvis do the work. Shake out your arms and unbuckle those knees. Close your eyes and for heaven’s sake stop gritting your teeth and unclamp your tongue from the roof of your mouth. This isn’t a contest.
4. Take it in Through the Nose.
Remember. Back straight. Pelvis tight. Body relaxed. Eyes closed. Shut your mouth and take the air in slowly through your nose. Once again, this isn’t a contest. You’re not trying to make yourself dizzy. Just image your lungs filling with air as your breathe in. When you feel you’ve taken in a good amount through your nose, hold it for three beats.
5. Out through the Mouth. Slowly.
Try to let your breath out as slowly as you took it in. Expel the air through your mouth. Make a little noise with it. Anything from an audible exhale to an all out moan. Imagine you’re exhaling the bad stuff inside you. Imagine you’re exhaling your anger or fear. Imagine your troubles leaving your body and dissipating into the atmosphere.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 until you’re Better.
Breathing exercises won’t cure cancer. They won’t make your boss stop bitching or prices stop rising. Controlled breathing won’t bring about world peace. Then again, a few deep breaths will make you feel better - at least for a moment and a moment can change everything.
You don’t have to wait for a stressful situation to reap the benefits of breathing exercises. Do them in the morning. Make them a ritual for winding down after work. Try breathing exercises before you go to bed. Unless you’re in a room full of poisonous gas, there’s nothing about controlled breathing that can hurt you.
Breathing is free and you have to do it anyway. Appreciate the gifts that surround you. Take them and savor them. Breathe.
By J.A. Romig | VEESH Writer | JAN.01.08