Happy Health

Breathe Easy

Breath is essential to relaxation, the healthy function of every part of the body. Full breath not just occasional. Most peoples' breathing is shallow and rapid. We need to restore depth and rhythm of natural breath that was instinctive as child. Breathing fully, including abdominally, is not only for physical health, also generates emotional and mental wellbeing. "All it takes is an additional one-and-a-half seconds of inhalation for the upper brain to increase its output of endorphins, which help us to combat stress and external threats." (Pierre Pallardy, "Gut Instinct")

A condensed version of this article follows here (about 600 words). Or click FULL to go straight down to the full detailed piece. (1350 words) Consider the importance of Breath / When breath is limited / Guided practice Full Breath

Breath is our first act after birth, and our last at the end of our lives. In between times we usually imagine, when we think about it at all, that breath is just an automatic function. Yet breath is a primal cycle, deep and elemental and archetypal in our being, as well as simply necessary.

Have you noticed yourself holding your breath, and that you often are breathing shallowly to only part of your lungs - not the full wave? Watch how you feel in your body, also your thinking and feelings as your breath changes. For most of us, by adulthood the natural wave cycle of full breath has become stunted. We no longer naturally ‘breathe easy’.

  • Consider the importance of breath.
  • All the workings of the body need oxygen, in every cell.
  • The majority of the body’s waste material is expelled through the breath.
  • All the internal organs are gently massaged as we breathe fully.
  • Breath also takes in less physical 'life force'.

Symptoms possible when breath is limited. The mind becomes fuggy; feelings of apprehension if not panic rise; tiredness and lackluster. If poor breathing continues, stresses build up which can be detrimental to individual organs and systems of the body, as well as to our emotional and mental well being.

Learning to consciously improve breathing can, at any age, also help improve quality of life. We can learn to consciously use breath for many purposes, including to direct life force to parts of the body as a healing exercise.

FULL BREATH is easiest to learn step by step in three parts.
Step One, Abdominal Breathing. The area below the belly button, which many of us might not want to know about or look at because its not trim or pretty any more: there, let that relax outward as you inhale. When exhaling, pull the lower belly in to help full exhalation. Regular abdominal breathing is a great helath aid. I’ve also found that a great good laugh sure helps to clear the lungs too!

Step Two, Middle Breathing, breathing to the ribs area, to open out the ribs both horizontally and vertically. Then put that action together with the Step One abdominal breathing. Remembering of course to also exhale.

Step Three, Top Breathing. The lungs go high into the chest, right up to the collar bone area. The sternum or breast bone area can be moved and lifted. Breathe into the upper chest, lifting the sternum and spreading the top chest and shoulder area. Don't lift your shoulders, but you can visualize the breath going right up into the tops of the shoulders.

Put the three breathing steps together now into the big wave, like the body’s dance of life, in two three, out two three. After the inhale, pause to allow the lungs a further moment for the exchange. Then with the exhalation, lowering shoulders, relaxing ribs, help that last little bit out by gently pulling in the lower belly muscles. A little pause again to relax before the next breath. Don’t overdo it. Try just three full, easy breaths.

What I’ve focused on here is like Breathing 101. Breathing can also be practiced to relax, to energise, to support the immune system, to disengage from emotional drama, to deepen intimate relationships, to heighten sexual experience, to help birthing, to calm the mind, to centre and balance in the self, to focus attention in order to disengage from a conflict, to meditate, to develop spiritual consciousness, to foster presence, and more. Give yourself, for free, a little more Life in your life: remember to breathe and breathe easy!

Cynthia Alves, copyright October 2002, edited 2008 TOP

"BREATHE EASY" (FULL ARTICLE)

Give a thought to breathing. Breath is our first act after birth, and our last at the end of our lives. In between times we usually imagine, when we think about it at all, that breath is just an automatic function. Yet breath is a primal cycle, deep and elemental and archetypal in our being, as well as simply necessary. All going well perfect breath starts out naturally automatic. Watch an infant lying down on her back. Her body moves from the lower belly in a beautiful wave all the way to the upper chest . Full breath.

Yet have you noticed yourself holding your breath, and that you often are breathing shallowly to only part of your lungs - not the full wave? And have you then observed the difference this makes, not only to how you feel in your body, also your thinking and feelings? You can experiment by simply drawing in a full breath and, relaxing the diaphragm, and holding your breath. Please don't strain or make yourself blue in the face, just go gently and watch the responses – physical, emotional and mental.

For most of us, by adulthood the natural wave cycle of full breath has become stunted. We no longer naturally ‘breathe easy’.

Consider the importance of breath. We don’t have to have university degrees to know that breath is essential for our body to stay alive. We’ve heard of ‘oxygen in, carbon dioxide out’. We know that all the workings of the body need oxygen, in every cell, and that the exhalation of carbon dioxide waste is also vital. The majority of the body’s waste material is expelled through the breath, so not exhaling fully means that waste remains. In with nutrients, and out with wastes. Another benefit of full breathing is that all the internal organs are gently massaged.

Eastern knowledge tells us that breath, or prana is much more than physical chemicals from the air we breathe. Breathing is also receiving the most fundamental energy of life, 'life force' / Qi / Chi etc into the body.

Let’s look a little closer now and be aware of what can happen when breath is limited. The mind becomes fuggy and slow for lack of air. Feelings of apprehension if not panic rise as the ancient part of the brain warns, “get your breath!”. The body wilts with tiredness and lackluster. If poor breathing continues as a general habit, then stresses build up which can be detrimental to individual organs and systems of the body, as well as to our emotional and mental well being.

The good news is that learning to consciously improve breathing can, at any age, also help improve quality of life. We can learn to consciously use breath for many purposes, including to direct life-energy to parts of the body as a healing exercise. At best we can have some training at yoga, Qigong and other such classes. Certainly if you are weak or ill or have any other physical conditions where extra care and caution is needed, then take care and responsibility for seeking any advice and training you may need. At the least, we can all improve general breath awareness. Most can benefit by learning to practice the full breath.

FULL BREATH is easiest to learn step by step in three parts.
Step One, Abdominal Breathing. Although the lungs aren’t in the lower belly, as the lower belly is relaxed this gives room for the lungs to expand. For those who have been drilled over many years to Hold In The Belly! learning to let it go may take a lot of practice. That area below the belly button, which many of us might not want to know about or look at because its not trim or pretty any more: there, let that relax outward. For Lycra wearers this will mean practice in morning and night, and maybe leaving off the Lycra a bit more often.

To just be able to let the lower belly go, you might need to get in touch with the muscles that move that area. Place the hands flat on the lower belly with the long middle finger tips together. Now push out the belly so that fingertips come apart. Once you’ve got that you know the muscles you need to relax for breathing in fully. Those same muscles are pulled inward to compress the lower belly to help full exhalation, which means releasing toxins sitting in the bottom of the lungs. I’ve also found that a great good laugh sure helps to clear the lungs too! Regular abdominal full-breathing is a great health aid. (Refer, for example to Dr. Pallardy's "Gut Instinct")

Step Two, Middle Breathing, that is breathing to the ribs area, which also massages the heart. It took me a while to find the muscles that do it but it is possible, if you haven’t found out already, to open out the ribs both horizontally and vertically. This is helpful not only for lung expansion, it also makes more space for the heart. So expand the ribs outward and upward as you breathe deeply and fully into the middle chest. Then put that action together with the Step One lower belly /abdominal breathing. Remembering of course to also exhale.

Step Three, Top Breathing. I used to be ignorant that, firstly, the lungs go so high into the chest, right up to the collar bone area; secondly that the sternum or breast bone area can be moved and lifted so much. People generally rarely get air into and out of this upper part of the body except for big sighs. Try it now: breathe into the upper chest, lifting the sternum and spreading the top chest and shoulder area. Don't lift your shoulders, but do visualize the breath going right up toward the tops of the shoulders. And of course good posture helps a lot for the whole breathing process.

Put the three breathing steps together now into the big wave, like the body’s dance of life, in two three, out two three. After the inhale, pause to allow the lungs a further moment for the exchange. Then with the exhalation, lowering shoulders, relaxing ribs, help that last little bit out by gently pulling in the lower belly muscles. A little pause again to relax before the next breath. Don’t overdo it. Try just three full breaths, breathing easy.

Full breath sounds very complicated in writing. With a bit of practice the simplicity, relief and joy of participating with the body’s automatic process can be wonderful, and the healthy benefits felt soon if not immediately. 'Full breath' is not about an occasional conscious act, it is re-learning what our bodies we did naturally as children so we can let life force flow freely again.

I am glad to start each morning with conscious full breathing before I get out of bed, the morning 'wave'. Like being born anew into each day. I also enjoy using my time when waiting in shopping queues to practice standing and breathing well. I’ve been noticing when I regularly hold my breath, including when I’m doing ‘small’ or tricky jobs like pricking out seedlings, or tiny craft work, and also, oddly, sometimes when I’m doing heavy work like digging. This is just when my body really needs the extra air flow most. Now that I’ve noticed my tendencies I can consciously breathe better. Even if breathing isn’t at its 'natural full breath' best, simply remembering to breathe, as funny as that may sound, can make a great difference.

What I’ve focused on here is like Breathing 101. Breathing can also be practiced to relax, to energise, to support the immune system, to disengage from emotional drama, to deepen intimate relationships, to heighten sexual experience, to help birthing, to calm the mind, to centre and balance in the self, to focus attention in order to disengage from a conflict, to meditate, to develop spiritual consciousness, to foster presence, and more. Give yourself, for free, a little more Life in your life: remember to breathe and breathe easy!

Cynthia Alves, copyright October 2002, edited January 2008

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