Why are we bothered to look at the benefits of deep breathing in the first place?
It is because ‘Prana’ or ‘Life Force’ is of utmost importance in the ancient science of Yoga. In fact, Atharva Veda goes on to say that ‘Prana’ alone is the God and controls the three worlds.
Although ‘Prana’ manifests in a multitude of forms, physical breath is one of them.
It is the single most important function on which everything else depends – the basic unit of life, and hence so much importance to doing it correctly and deeply.
Sadly, it is also the one bodily function humans are performing most poorly in today’s world.
We have become shallow breathers. And the damage it is doing to our body as well as mind is unsurmountable.
So, let me give you some solid reasons for why you should:
– Start being aware of your wrong breathing patterns
– Put effort into correcting it and practice deep breathing
Here is why breathing right and deep can not only improve your health inside out, but it can transform you as a person.
Benefits of deep breathing
#1. Deep breathing makes you happier, literally
Wrong breathing and stress are best friends. If you have stress, erratic breathing will follow and if you breathe wrong, stress will.
An example is how your breath becomes rapid when you are angry or agitated.
So, while you are stressed you may not notice, but it badly affects your breathing pattern and hence the oxygen/ CO2 content in your body.
Becoming aware of this connection itself can save you from its bad effects.
Whenever you have anxiety or stress, become aware of your breath.
In case it is rapid, do not try to deepen the incoming breath at the same rapid rate of breathing, as that will just worsen the hyperventilation.
Instead, try to slow down your breath. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 4, then exhale for 4 or 6 seconds.
Be aware of your erratic breathing with mood swings as such, and practice the abovementioned technique. Over time you will see immense improvement in not just your stress and anxiety levels but also your happiness index will hit a natural high.
#2. Deep breathing enhances overall health
The human body is about two-thirds oxygen and its roles are so many that I cannot even start to talk about them.
One important function of oxygen is that it is the fuel that converts glucose into energy. Each organ of our body uses this energy to perform its functions – what we know as ‘metabolism’.
We need an optimum amount of oxygen for efficient metabolism. And if for any reason our breathing is compromised, the quality of metabolism is compromised too.
So, by giving the process of metabolism an optimum environment, you can improve the functioning of the body.
For example, eating while slouching and not giving digestive organs enough space will spawn bad metabolism and hence indigestion. Sitting straight and giving enough space to the diaphragm will let in the correct amount of oxygen and also give the digestive organs space to do their job for good digestion.
So, proper deep breathing can improve all the vital functions, from digestion to better circulation, better muscle strength, and proper detoxification, thereby improving your overall health and well-being.
#3. Deep breathing increases your immunity
The lymphatic system in our body is the police station that captures all invaders that enter and is hence the center of our immunity.
Lymph, unlike blood, is not pumped through the body. It depends on certain bodily actions to move properly and reach different parts of the body. Exercise and breathing are two of those.
Most importantly, breathing in a proper posture and in the right proportion of inhalation and exhalation is what cracks the code for an efficient flow of lymph.
That is why Yoga is one of the best ways to build immunity. It combines exercise with the benefits of deep breathing and can enhance lymphatic flow by up to 10 times.
#4. Deep breathing enables your body to heal faster
Deep breathing enhances healing in multiple ways. Let us talk about two of the major players – the immune system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
The immune system plays a principal role in not only containing the infection but also kickstarting healing. A small example would be your elbow hitting the ground and a resulting blood clot or pus formation while it heals.
All of it is a function of the immune system. And we have already established how deep breathing enhances its health.
Another dimension to look at is through improving the functionality of the rest and repair system of our body – the para-sympathetic nervous system.
Deep breathing improves the health of this system by –
1. Physically stimulating the vagus nerve with the act of deep breathing itself
2. Reducing thoughts in the mind and making it calm, causing better functioning of this system. Because in Yoga we know that an unsteady mind is the result of unsteady breath and vice-versa.
3. Promoting a calm mind, thereby preventing unnecessary wear and tear.
So, faster and more efficient healing are among the innumerable benefits of deep breathing.
#5. Deep breathing is your best anti-aging pill
Ancient Yogic texts believe that we have a certain number of breaths for a lifetime. Hence one of the aims of Pranayama is to slow down the breath and elongate it, so those number of breaths can result in a longer (and healthier) lifetime.
For non-believers, let me put it in the modern scientific perspective.
It is scientifically proven that every cell has a limited number of divisions allotted for a lifetime.
This cell division is responsible for our growth and maintenance. This is what makes us into young men and women and causes aging as cell renewal becomes slower. When the cells cannot renew anymore, that is what we know as the death of the body.
What is born must die and therefore the process takes precedence over everything.
However, we can surely delay the process of aging by keeping the renewal process quick and healthy.
Deep breathing does this by providing the optimum amount of oxygen to the cells. It also stimulates the hypothalamus which is responsible for the hormonal balance of our body which in turn is responsible for all bodily functions running smoothly.
So, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed the glowing faces of yoga practitioners 😉
THE QUICKEST TRICK TO BREATHE RIGHT
You are feeling lazy and dull.
Check your posture. Straighten your spine, open the shoulders, and chin parallel to the ground naturally.
Are you feeling dull anymore?
The quickest and the best way to have proper breathing is correcting your posture.
In fact, it has been proven that improper posture can reduce your breathing capacity by up to 30%.
Increased confidence and awareness is the most amazing instant benefit of deep breathing because you can never breathe deep and right without a proper posture.
So, stop slouching -sit straight and be aware of your posture. Repeat every time you see yourself falling back (literally) into your poor old posture.
Breathe naturally. Do not try to overfill your lungs. The aim is deep breathing, not long breathing.
Pull yourself up and breathe!
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