Learn to breathe and enjoy long life

"A more useful science than the science of respiration, a more beneficial science than the science of respiration, a greater friend than the science of respiration has never been seen nor heard." – Shivagama

Breathing is the single most important thing that you can do to stay alive. Thankfully it doesn’t require any conscious thought, or else I know many people who wouldn’t make it through the day without constant resuscitation. The thing with automatic processes though, is that while convenient, they’re not always optimal. This applies to breath. In our normal lives, which are becoming increasingly sedentary, we use only one tenth of our lung capacity. Enough to maintain functioning, but not enough to promote good health and long life.

"If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply
to learn how to breathe correctly."
- Andrew Weil, M.D., 1999

Automatic breathing tends to be quick and shallow, this means that we don’t take in as much oxygen as we should, nor do we exhale enough carbon dioxide. Toxins build up and we suffer from a range of ailments from niggling colds to chronic heart disease. Shallow breathing also results in premature aging as our skins are deprived of the rejuvenating qualities of oxygen. Deep breathing smoothes skin and reduces wrinkles.

Breathing badly becomes a habit, which, like all habits, can be broken. But first we need to identify why we breathe badly and when. Modern living has a lot to answer for. We’re in a hurry, stressed, worried, and tense, all of which speeds up respiration. Increased convenience means that we are less physical than previous generations. Our lungs don’t get the exercise that we need and fall into lazy breathing habits. We also spend more time indoors than ever before, exposing ourselves to a host of indoor pollutants. Our bodies react defensively by taking shorter inhalations so that less polluted air gets into our lungs.

Taking the first step to correct bad breathing habits is easy: breathe through your nose. Obvious, isn’t it? But if you stop at various intervals during the day and pay attention to your breathing, you may be surprised at how often you find yourself breathing through your mouth. Oral respiration has been found to adversely affect the mental development of children.

Breathing through your nose, on the other hand, has numerous health benefits. Firstly, you nose has many built-in self-defence mechanisms to protect you from impurities in the air. Nose hairs serve as filters for dust and small insects, mucous membranes warm air that is too cold for your lungs, and there are glands whose sole purpose is to fend off any lingering bacteria. Secondly, your sense of smell should alert you to poisons in the air that could bring about your untimely death. A good rule of thumb is that if it reeks, don’t breathe it.

"Breathing control gives man strength, vitality, inspiration, and magic powers."
- Chuang Tzu

Lastly, yoga practitioners believe that you can only absorb prana (free life-giving energy) from the air if you breathe through your nose. According to the yogis, prana is vital to increase immune functioning and mental acuity. Not to mention the host of spiritual benefits that is to be gained from deep and steady breathing.

Non-yoga practitioners need not despair, as the benefits of yoga can also be achieved through a good laugh; proving once again, that a sense of humour is vital to get you through life.

Recommended sites:

http://www.egreenway.com/wellbeing/breathing.htm

http://www.holisticonline.com/Yoga/hol_yoga_breathing_Importance.htm#Importance

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Ice Boys air conditioners one of the leading suppliers of air conditioners in the UK.