I know what you are thinking: “I must be breathing correctly- I’m alive, aren’t I?” Well, yes, that’s certainly true. But there’s been a lot of news and information lately about how many of us don’t breathe correctly (myself included.) And if you’ve ever done any breathing exercises or tried to “follow the breath” during meditation, you can appreciate how much better you’ll feel when you pay just a little more attention to something so simple. I’ll share a bit of what I’ve learned about the benefits of breathing correctly.
Inspiration from Rancho La Puerta
Like many wellness activities that Kate and I have taken on recently (including restorative yoga), my interest in breathing stems from our most recent trip to Rancho La Puerta almost a year ago. The Ranch offers a lot of opportunities to slow down and breathe (that’s one of the reasons we love it!) But my epiphany came after we returned from RLP, when I received an email from the Ranch with a link to Dr. Elliott Dacher’s guided meditation. It’s essentially a breathing session, and it’s brilliant. His voice is just amazing…
The Basics on Breathing Correctly
Apparently, many of us (maybe 90%??) breathe primarily through our mouths, and that’s not a good thing. There’s something about breathing through our noses that is naturally calming (maybe because we can’t just gulp in air?) and it also hydrates the air that comes into your lungs. So one of the first things you can do is make a deliberate effort to use your nose. You can change things up, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Try some different breathing exercises. Recently, I’ve been trying square or box breathing. Inhale for a 10 count, hold for 10, exhale for a 10 count, hold for 10. Repeat. Trust me- this works like a charm in a stressful situation! I really believe the idea that “it’s hard to thinking about anything else when you are following your breath.” How many times have you gotten upset, wound up, anxious, when just slowing down your breath and sitting quietly might have had a significant calming effect?
Not flaring out your rib cage and chest while breathing is another technique that is part of breathing correctly. And if you are into functional range conditioning, you’ll see the connection here. When you breath, your chest should be as still as possible. Use your core to hold your ribs in and your chest still. Posture, a strong core, mindfulness- they are all part of breathing correctly.
And the best part of breathing is using it for laughter- don’t forget that! What’s the point of all this without a good laugh on a regular basis??
Doing more research
And if you are ready to go deep, pick up the latest bestseller on the benefits of breathing correctly.
Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
I’m trying to make a 5 min session of thoughtful, correct breathing part of my everyday routine. It’s easy and cheap; why don’t you join me?
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