The Healing Power of Breath

Without breathing, there is no life. Breathing is a vital part of life. It helps deliver oxygen into your bloodstream and remove carbon dioxide. Two primary ways of breathing are chest breathing and deep breathing. With deep breathing (also called diaphragmatic or abdominal breathing), always inhale and exhale through your nose, not your mouth.

The breath is focused on the diaphragm rather than on the chest. Breathing is influenced by our thoughts and physiology, which, in turn, can be influenced by our breath. We must realize that the mind, body, and breath are intimately connected and impact our wellness. Learning to control our breath is one of the most powerful ways to enhancing physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. You can understand essential truths about life by paying attention to your breathing. Through the breath, you can also access deep states of effortless meditation. [1]

THE SCIENCE OF DEEP BREATHING

Most meditation techniques are based on deep breathing. In the ancient yogic teachings, the practice is called Pranayama, or expanding the life force using the breath. The expression is derived from two Sanskrit words: Prana (life force) and Ayama (expansion). A fundamental principle of Pranayama is to inhale through the nostrils. The yogic teachings contain many different Pranayama exercises that can help you tap into your breath to build self-awareness and focus during meditation or yoga to heal the body.

The physical benefits of deep breathing are often immediate. Deep breathing provides fresh oxygen to every cell of your body, stimulates the vagus nerve. This long nerve connected to the parasympathetic nervous system links the brain with the heart, lungs, and digestive tract. During deep breathing, the parasympathetic nervous system begins to soothe and calm the body. This relaxation causes the blood capillaries to expand, allowing fresh oxygen to pass to the blood as carbon dioxide is removed from the body. Deep breathing can raise our lung capacity, slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, reduce stress levels, decrease inflammation, improve the immune system, helps us sleep better, and maybe even improve longevity. [2]

HOW TO PERFORM DEEP DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

Find a comfortable, quiet place. Sit with a straight spine with your knees bent and your shoulders, head, and neck relaxed (or lie down). Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage (over your diaphragm), and take a slow, deep breath through your nose. The inhaled air should move downward into your lower belly. Let your abdomen expand fully. Hold the breath for 2 to 3 seconds, and exhale through your nose (mouth closed) while counting to four. Your hands should go down as your abdomen deflates. Remember to relax your belly so that each inhalation expands it fully. This is how simple deep breathing is.

In the beginning, practice this exercise for a minimum of 5 minutes at a time and at least twice a day. Gradually add time each day until your sessions are about 15 minutes long. With regular practice, you will train your body to breathe correctly and increase your energy and vitality.

PRANAYAMA BREATHING TECHNIQUES

There are many different types of breathing techniques, each having a specific effect on mind-body physiology. Some of these exercises are simple enough to do on your own, but having a health professional as a guide can be beneficial, especially if you are a beginner. Remember to make sure you are sitting in a comfortable position with your spine erect.

Here are just a few basic breathing techniques used in yoga to help you get started.

Kapalabhati (Skull Shining Breath): Sitting with back and neck straight, inhale through both nostrils and exhale forcefully (out of your nose) followed by slightly slower, passive inhalations.  Each outward breath is propelled by a powerful thrust of the abdomen at a pace of about 60 breaths per minute (BPM). Following this thrust, the abdomen is quickly relaxed, and the breath flows back into the lungs, recoiling from the force of the exhalation. The inhalation is smooth and effortless.