Do we all breathe? Yes, of course, that’s how we are alive! However, some studies and statistics reveal the fact that most of us don’t breathe the way our body is meant to! This may appear as a striking fact but majorities of us have been taking our breathing function for granted, jeopardizing a lot of healthy parameters of our life and missing out on many benefits. Breathing is the most underrated function we perform and this has resulted because we have distorted the intrinsic details of it in a substantial manner, enough to deviate our healthy life.
A thorough analysis of the self would reveal the fact that most of us are not breathing right at all and thus, reducing the quantity of the very component of life – ‘oxygen’, which we need in order to function. Indian Yoga therefore elaborately deals with ‘pranayams’ and the most characteristic feature of the majority of pranayams is deep breathing. Medical and wellness experts have also recommended deep breathing to alleviate a lot of illnesses and health conditions.
Even if one does not suffer from any illness, deep breathing is still definitely a practice that needs to be incorporated into our lives as it can be very enriching for the body, mind and soul.
How to Deep Breathe?
Deep breathing is an art and it is equally soothing too!
To begin with, a person should start with soft ‘inhaling’ which means that you need to breathe in slowly, for a long duration and then ‘breathe out’ slowly with same duration. This completes one cycle.
The number of cycles per session and frequencies per day can be subsequently increased according to capability, choice and need. It is a great experience to live with the results that are almost immediate, and range from lively rejuvenation to inherent energies for the doer.
Deep breathing is a great form of relaxation. Whether or not you do it with the intention of relaxing, you will end up feeling calmer and happier once you are done with a few cycles of deep breathing.
Care should be taken so as to not breathe through your mouth and into your stomach. The breathing has to be only through nasal passages and in a state of calm. Full and holistic breathing is however recommended which fills up your abdomen as well.
Abdominal breathing is the right way to breathe in order to reap the benefits of deep breathing.
Why Is It Necessary?
Our body needs oxygen – the vital element of life bestowed on us by Mother Nature! Why starve the body of it? Get ample amounts of oxygen through deep breathing exercises and the body will automatically correct your ill breathing characteristics over time. Correcting the way of breathing will improve your overall health.
Some of the benefits of deep breathing.
There are countless benefits to deep breathing. Some of the major ones include:
1. Detoxification of the body: Deep breathing helps release the bound up toxins that get clogged in the bio chemical mechanisms of the human body. Active release and excretion of such toxins is facilitated thus cleaning the whole body!
2. Holistic relaxation: An inner feeling of whole body relaxation is achieved with deep breathing. The muscles feel de-stressed with more oxygen being delivered and higher rates of removal of lactic acid as well as other by-products of anaerobic respiration.
3. Improves blood flow and purity: Deep breathing increases the heart rate slowly and safely to higher levels thus increasing blood flow to the farthest parts of the body. The efficiency of the circulatory system is increased just by breathing correctly. Deep breathing also ensures more oxygen in the body and oxygen rich blood.
4. Immune strengthening: Deep breathing boosts the immune system of the body intrinsically, by strengthening the primary defense mechanisms like the circulatory system and skin health. Once you regularly start practicing deep breathing exercises, you’ll notice that your skin too has started to look healthier.
5. Pain resistance: With the boost in your immune system and better, oxygen rich blood flow to all the parts of the body, your ability to tolerate and deal with pains and aches will also increase. Also, pain will naturally start to subside once you are supplying your body with an ample amount of oxygen.
6. Pulmonary health: Deep breathing improves the health of the lungs slowly as the capacity of the pulmonary system to deliver more oxygen also improves.
7. Digestion improvement: Improved blood circulation and energies from deep breathing help improve digestive health. When the food is broken down better due to the sufficient supply of oxygen, you naturally tend to feel detoxified and there is less pressure on the digestive system.
8. De-stressing: A wholesome benefit of deep breathing is de-stressing of the mind, body and soul! This appears somewhat meta-scientific, but it’s true. Deep breathing leaves medications in the dust when it comes to relaxing the human mind and body.
9. Mood elevation: When a person feels light, the mood automatically elevates. Deep breathing not only reduces mental stress ,but also releases muscular tensions. Once your entire body is relaxed, you tend to automatically feel calm and renewed.
Deep breathing has been the basis of traditional and much revered Yoga Pranayams that have been known to change life dynamics, adding positive health benefits and happiness to life. Instead of getting used to medications that eventually have many side effects and release harmful toxins into the body, incorporate deep breathing instead. Just 15 minutes, everyday, can greatly improve the quality of your life; health wise and otherwise too.
Now that you are aware of the power of deep breathing, nothing should stop you from exploring it further.
Photo Credit
Woman practicing Yoga – Microsoft Office Clipart Collection
Guest Author Bio
Madhavi Dandu
Madhavi Dandu is a senior editor at UrbanWired with deep love and passion for all things health, wellness, fitness and fashion. Given how uninformed people were about personal health and fitness, she saw the need to educate the average joe and jane about healthy living through her writing.
Website: UrbanWired
Deep Breathing – The Benefits Galore! is a post from: LIFE AS A HUMAN