Breathing

Breathing - it is something we do all the time, everyday, every minute, every second. So what is so special about it? Well for starters it keeps us alive and keeps our blood flowing through our bodies. Breathing can also be a wonderful stress reliever. Have you ever stopped and taken the time to listen to your breathing? Have you ever noticed the patterns? Have you ever taken the time to think about what actually goes on inside your body and how we can actually help it?

Well there are at least two ways we can help our breathing. One way is by realizing what we are actually breathing in. Toxins from our lifestyle can really affect us. There are toxins in some of the things that we choose to breath such as cigarettes, cleaning products, or other chemicals. We can try to avoid, reduce, or even demolish some of these things from our lifestyle by choosing healthier alternatives. Also, the city that we live in can also affect us negatively. Smog is a big issue in some parts of the country. Substances in the air we breath can hurt us. That is no surprise. So why do people choose to live in these areas? Is it really worth it? Are you willing to sacrifice your health to live in a populated city? We make these choices everyday.

The second way that we can actually help our body is by our breathing techniques. It is amazing to think about, that we can actually improve our lifestyle by the way we breath. Yes it is true. Most people when they breath take short, quick breaths that only protrude into their upper lungs. We are actually supposed to be breathing more deeply and slowly. When we breath we should strive to breath all the way in and all the way out, using all of our lungs. You can feel the difference when doing it correctly. When we do this, the oxygen is then able to flow better and further throughout our bodies. Slow breathing is actually a way of stress relief. So if you are feeling stressed out, take a few minutes and really concentrate on your breathing and see how you compare. Maybe after listening to how you breath you can start practicing breathing more properly. Soon it might become a habit to you and you won't even realize it. And just think of how much better the air will flow through your body when you utilize your organs the way they were meant to be used.

Other breathing techniques are used in other situations as stress relief as well. One example would be expectant mothers in labor. We are taught to breath in patterns and to "take deep breaths." Hospitals even specialize in unique classes which focus specifically on teaching breathing in preparation for child birth. Another fine example is meditation. When meditating many instructors refer to the breathing. We take the time to settle our bodies and we focus on the breathing. In and out, slowly. We are to feel the motions and center our attention exclusively on our breathing. Now why would they have us do that? Because our breathing patterns affect us!

It is no coincidence that our breathing patterns influence us. We can learn to reduce our stress just by taking the time to breath correctly! How easy is that? If we only take the time to pay attention. How are you breathing? Is there anything you can change? Breath right. Live right.