You’re stressed, anxious, frustrated, angry or some other feeling you’d rather not be feeling right now. You wish things in your life were different but they are what they are. You wish you could turn off those less-than-helpful feelings but they hang around like a bad smell.
Did you know there’s something you already do all day, every day that can help? Something that could transform your life if you focused on it?
You would quickly die if you didn’t do it in your every waking and sleeping hour.
It’s always at your disposal, free for you to use whenever you choose.
Yes, it’s breathing.
You take it for granted. Your body needs it. You know that you don’t have to think about it.
But are you utilizing its full power on a daily basis to transform how you feel? Probably not.
The Problem With Your Breathing
Take a moment right now to notice your breathing.
Are you taking short, shallow breaths? Are you feeling stressed or anxious?
Does it feel like there’s a weight sitting on your chest?
With all the stresses you have to deal with every day (work, family, financial, physical), you probably ignore your breathing. This leads to those short, shallow breaths.
By only using a fraction of your lung capacity, you’re robbing your body of the oxygen it needs to operate effectively. This can lead to sleep disorders, heart disease, digestive issues, fatigue and premature aging, among other things.
Breathing is one of the body’s most effective ways of eliminating toxins. Not breathing fully creates a build-up of toxins which contributes to these health issues.
Take a Moment to Breathe
When was the last time you felt your breath reach deep into your belly? Try it.
Take in a slow, deep breath through your nose. Feel it fill your chest. Breathe in more deeply and feel it go through your diaphragm, just below your rib cage, into your belly. Relax the muscles in your belly and your gut.
Hold it there for a moment.
Then slowly relax and allow the breath to gently be released through your nose.
Repeat your delicious, deep breath two more times.
How do you feel?
This amazing transformation is available to you at any time and takes almost no time.
You won’t miss any deadlines. Your world won’t end if you take a moment to breathe deeply.
The Benefits of Breathing Correctly
In the world of yoga and most other ancient teachings, breathing is one of the cornerstones of the practice. In yoga, it’s called pranayama. Prana = life force, vital energy, the breath. Ayama = to extend, draw out.
Focusing on the breath and using certain breathing techniques have proven to:
- reduce stress (the leading cause of 90% of illnesses)
- improve heart functions
- improve focus
- facilitate better digestion
- slow down the aging process
- create space for better decision-making and less reactionary thinking and acting.
And you don’t even need a prescription.
Breathing is a critical part of mindfulness. It can create that powerful pause between a stimulus and how you choose to respond instead of reacting.
“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.” ― Thich Nhat Hahn
It allows us to momentarily disconnect from the craziness that surrounds us and escape to our own happy place.
Breathing gives us space to reflect without feeling pushed to do the next thing on our list.
From my own personal experience, taking a deep breath or three can improve relationships and help you lose weight (I discuss how in my Mindful Body program).
Start using this powerful, free tool that’s always accessible to you wherever you are to transform your life and your health.
Simple Steps
If you don’t normally think about your breathing, set a timer on your phone, computer or wherever you spend most of your time. A few times a day, when the alarm sounds, take a moment to notice your current breathing. No judgments. Simply notice.
Notice your current mental and emotional state. Could you benefit from relaxing or being energized?
Take a few moments to give your body what it needs. Focus on your breathing. Practice a relaxing or energizing breathing technique in that moment.
There are many types of breathing techniques. They each have their own purposes and benefits.
For a calming effect, make sure your exhale is about twice as long as your inhale. For example, slowly count to 3 as you inhale through your nose. Pause for 1-2 counts. Then slowly exhale through your nose as you count to 6.
For an energizing effect, try the Breath of Fire which utilizes longer inhales and short, powerful exhales. Click here to read more about how to perform this breathing technique.
When you focus on your breathing and how it’s affecting your body and mind, it’s hard to focus on and stress about anything else.
Give yourself the gift of a few precious moments of focused breathing.
“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
What breathing practices have you incorporated into your day? How have you benefited from focusing on your breathing?
To learn more about the benefits of breathing correctly and a variety of breathing techniques, check out this article at Groom & Style: Breathing Techniques: A Guide to the Science and Methods
Create the life you want: Combine the law of attraction with mindfulness
The law of attraction suggests that our positive or negative thoughts bring about positive or negative experiences. My latest book, The Mindful Guide to Law of Attraction, pairs that belief with the powerful practices of mindfulness. Through intentional breathing, writing, and engaging, you’ll hone a method for manifesting health, wealth, and love―the elements of happiness.
Let the law of attraction work for you by adopting its basic steps of identifying and visualizing the things you desire. Then use 45 practical meditation techniques included in the book to achieve awareness. By concentrating your positive energy on obtaining your wants, you’ll give yourself permission to receive them.
To your happiness! ~Paige
You can find this book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Indigo.
The Mindful Living Guide
When I was unwell, that is all I wanted – some notion that I could come out of these black woods.
There’s always a light, if you believe that it’s there.
This is exactly what I share with people when I make presentations about the 10 Steps. I call it a starter habit. At the end of my 10 month discussion group (one step a month) people often say that the one habit they have really incorporated into their lives is belly breathing. This is truly a remarkable technique. I use it all the time. You have set out the best description I’ve ever read about it, combining science and technique. I’m saving this one!!
Thank you so much Galen! It’s amazing what a difference this simple practice can make in so many aspects of our lives. Your 10 Steps program sounds quite powerful!
Big Hugs!
A lot of people could even improve their breathing with correct posture. Slouching in a chair for several hours a day would surely reduce lung capacity and the amount of oxygen entering the brain leading to tiredness and poor judgement.
I completely agree Jamie. Setting a reminder on your computer to sit up and breathe once each hour would be a great way to counter this. A woman that worked for me did just that and felt much more energized at the end of the day.
I also notice how people tend to collapse their chest, lower their head, roll their shoulders forward and shorten their breath when they’re feeling depressed, stressed or anxious. This posture only makes those feelings worse. Simply changing our physiology can make radical changes in our mood. Whenever I’m feeling down, I smile for 30 seconds even though it’s the last thing in the world I feel like doing. It erases about 95% of my negative feelings and resets my mood to a much better place.
Paige,
What a wonderful post! I just wrote about one technique a few weeks ago that Dr. Andrew Weil taught us at a lecture I attended. It, too is a pranayama technique called 4-7-8 breathing. I’ve been doing it for about 3 weeks now. Andrew Weil says you will not be the same in 6 months if you practice this. The breath of fire sounds very similar. It really helps me at night when I’m having trouble sleeping.
Thanks for these reminders!!
Betsy,
I’ve been thinking about writing about breathing for a while and it was your article that inspired me to finally get it out there. I’ve been receiving multiple messages about this (your post, strong words from my yoga teacher and seeing things about breathing techniques “everywhere”) so I knew it was time for me to write it. I usually write about messages that I need to hear in my own life, in hopes that it helps others.
That’s awesome that you’ve been consistent with the 4-7-8 technique for a full three weeks! Sounds like you’ve got a great new habit! I’m working with a few different techniques to settle on something I’ll turn into a habit.
Thanks for the inspiration! Big Hugs!!
Thanks for this Paige. I’ve always been fascinated with different breathing techniques and the impact they have on our health and well being. And now I have some more to check out!
I’m grateful for the reminder.
Love Elle
xoxo
It’s amazing how powerful something so common can be. So glad I can help in your exploration!