What is deep breathing? It is simply an opposite of shallow breathing. Shallow breathing is normally performed by people daily without knowing that including this in their lifestyle might cause negative effect. This kind of breathing causes the body to become tense.
One thing that is such a part of daily life is deep breathing and it is probably something that people don’t think often. The vital part about it is that; the way we breathe is actually having an important impact on our mental and physical state. Setting some time to perform deep breathing will surely contribute a lot of benefits to the body.
According to the “Discover Health”, 6 deep breaths per minutes are healthy in which the diaphragm must take it in slow and relaxed breath. They also stated that when breathing; one must focus on making the abdomen rise instead of focusing on the chest’s rise. This action will completely allow the lungs to be filled with air and will leave the body with in an over all passive state.
An effective and simple addition to our everyday lifestyle is be deep breathing. This is quite associated to yoga, in which a person is relaxing the mind, body and soul just for a moment. It is also believed that it has a good effect in releasing negative energy to the body and thus helps eliminates bad feedbacks. Indeed, this seems to be very interesting.
Daily stress from work, school and home are quickly leading to shallow breathing which when not stopped immediately can become a habit. Breathing deeply can bring consciousness to the body and allows enough oxygen that will nourish the cells. This is one way of preserving healthy cells to a glowing look and relaxed feeling through out the day. When the body inhales deeply, the carbon dioxide will also be exhaled together with the toxins trapped in the lungs.
Benefits of Deep Breathing
- When you are having a high rate of respiration, recent studies have shown that it can be linked to high blood pressure.
- In addition, several studies have also proven that deep breathing had benefited people suffering from asthma.
- Furthermore, deep breathing also reduces stress for people suffering daily from it. Stressed people often breathe shallowly.
- When you are practicing daily deep breathing, your body will likely release endorphins, these are the painkillers naturally found in the body. When this are released, it can be a great help in relieving you from sleeplessness, headache, backaches and other stresses.
- With deep breathing, one can be able to have a focus and clear mind, strengthen the intestinal and abdominal muscles.
- Since the body must release 70% of the toxins, deep breathing is beneficial. It is very effective in detoxifying the body and therefore will prevent the development of illnesses.
- Breathing properly also relieves a person from his emotional problems by helping clearing the uneasy feelings.
- This also helps massaging the organs in the body such as small intestine, stomach, pancreas and liver. It also massages the heart whenever the diaphragm is moving upward. Through this action, there will be an improved blood circulation.
- Over period of time of deep breathing, it can promote good posture. So in order to maintain a good posture, try to deep breath daily.
Deep Breathing Exercise for a Stable Mental and Physical Health
Breathing deeply requires full and relaxed breaths. It is an activity that is well-known to relieve stress and is also a technique that maintains mental health. The Canadian Mental Health Association stated that this kind of daily exercise provides the blood extra oxygen that causes the body to release endorphins. This activity is also being recommended by the Eastside Center for Counseling and Psychotherapy in Kirkland Washington. They have found out that this activity can reduce anxiety.
On the other hand, deep breathing exercise can as well benefit the physical state and not only the mental state. Since the body needs enough oxygen to supple vital organs, deep breathing is a perfect way to achieve it. An example would be some studies that have proved the efficacy of deep breathing in lowering the blood pressure. In the year 2002, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a device called RESPeRATE.
It is a non-prescription tool that helps in lowering blood pressure by aiding users pace their breathing. More and more researches had also been conducted into how deep breathing exercise lowers the blood pressure. It has been found out that muscles being properly oxygenated improve the burning of fats and the function of muscles. This fact was derived in the articles on Military.com. Aside from this benefit, deep breathing also enhances the vocal performance of a person whether speaking in private or public.
Both of speaking and singing as well as deep breathing are associated in the diaphragm. Therefore, a person who knows how to control his breath through diaphragm will have more control and confident abilities in vocal aspect. This is according to the study of the Vocal-Sphere.com.
How to Perform this Exercise
Deep breathing exercise can be achieved by resting down in a relaxing position while wearing a cloth that is loose-fitting. After that, place one of your hands on the abdomen just above the belly button then focus on making your abdomen rise and fall. Also, it might be better to make 4 to 6 deep breath through the nose.
This exercise can as well be done standing. Once in a while, try to check you’re breathing through out the day and make sure that you are not sucking your abdomen when breathing. This can lead to shallow breathing. You can also have options like joining fitness classes that give emphasis to deep breathing such as yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates.
Things to Remember
When performing deep breathing exercise, you must avoid over breathing since breathing too hard frequently might cause hyperventilation that will result to lightheadedness and muscle spasms. Also, be sure that when you are performing deep breathing, you must totally relax your body and mind. Choose a quite place for a better concentration.
