“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

Breathing…it’s something we do every moment of every day that we sometimes take for granted. The breath is an essential key to our health and wellness. In addition to bringing in oxygen, the breath is the bridge between the mind and the body. It takes place involuntarily and can also be practiced and developed voluntarily to benefit you physically, mentally, emotionally,  and spiritually. 

The breath is life force energy – known as prana in Sanskrit and chi or qi in the Asian cultures –  that connects us to life within us and around us. It is a powerful tool for healing, as well as bringing about inner peace, improving focus and clarity, increasing energy, relaxing the body and mind, and reaching higher states of consciousness.

Scientifically speaking, functions of the body such as swallowing, digestion, and physical movement are all reliant of the efficient functioning of prana within the body.

Breathing affects your metabolism, body chemistry, hormones, digestion, body alkalinity, and nervous system function. Better breathing lowers stress, improves immunity and resilience, and can improve focus, concentration, and mood.

In yoga, pranayama – breath control – is one of the eight limbs of yoga. (The physical practice of yoga known as asana is another one of the eight limbs.) The breath unifies our body and mind as we practice asana and is also a pathway to begin noticing the subtle sensations in the body. 

Pranayama consists of the following four stages:

-Puraka (inhalation)
-Abhyantara kumbhaka (the mindful pause after inhalation)
-Rechaka (exhalation)
-Bahya Kumbhaka (the mindful pause after exhalation)

You can shorten and lengthen these various stages to elicit specific responses. For example, extending the exhale longer than the inhale activates the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system.

If you’ve heard of Wim Hof – known as the Ice Man for the ice baths he takes – he utilizes breathing techniques similar to ancient methods utilized by Tibetan Monks to withstand exposure to extremely cold temperatures.  It truly is amazing what we can accomplish through just the breath!

Luckily, conscious breathing is an essential practice for health that can easily be incorporated throughout the day, even with a busy schedule. You can utilize very simple breathing exercises to help you focus, reduce stress by calming and balancing the nervous system, and bring energy and focus when you need it. Even by just deepening the breath more often (diaphragmatic breathing that is), you will be bringing in more oxygen to your cells and improving your health.

Are you breathing effectively?

Many people do not. My personal experience after teaching nearly ten years of yoga has been that the majority of people that do breath correctly are individuals who practice yoga regularly and have been taught to breath more effectively.

Before reading on, take a breath and notice how you are breathing?  Go ahead, I’ll wait…..

Now, what did you notice? Does it stay up in the chest or move down into the body? Is it deep or shallow? Does it feel smooth or choppy?

When we are stressed or are simply going about our day with tension building from to do lists, work pressure, and family responsibilities, the breath can become constricted and shallow. I even know some women who catch themselves holding their breath throughout the day. Anyone with anxiety probably knows this all too well.

It is essential to breathe more deeply more often. This does NOT mean taking a deeper breath into the chest. When inhaling, be sure to take the breath all  the way into the body, so that the belly expands outwards. The chest and rib cage will only slightly expand after the breath expands the belly. Utilize the exhale to release tension and allow the body to relax. Notice the pause and the top and bottom of the breath. 

This type of ‘deep breathing’ involves the diaphragm and encourages full oxygen exchange. If breathing this way is new for you, rest your hands on the belly to feel the rise and fall of the breath, practicing the expansion the belly in to the hands on each inhale. That’s right – the belly goes out when you breathe in! Notice what this brings up for you. For years, I never breathed past my chest. I was too busy sucking in my stomach all the time. Can any of you ladies relate??

Explore the breath by closing the eyes, softening the corners of the mouth upwards as you breathe in and then exhale with a long ‘haaaaaaaa’ sound. Notice how this affects how you feel physically and emotionally after only a few breaths.  … Try it now.🙂

Here are two easy and relaxing breath practices you can utilize throughout your day. This 4-7-8 breath is one of the first breathing techniques that I practiced. It is one that Dr. Andrew Weil highly recommends. The second practice is an even simpler version if you choose to start there and it is easier to remember to incorporate into your day. 

The 4-7-8 Breath

You may practice this breath anywhere, anytime. It is best to sit with the spine straight (or you can be lying down). Rest the tip of your tongue against the roof of the mouth, touching the back of the front teeth. You will breathe out around the tongue, through slightly opened lips. In yogic practices, this placement of the tongue is believed to complete an energy circuit.

-Exhale completely, letting out a sigh
-Breathe in through the nose for 4 counts. Allow the belly, chest, and ribcage to expand deeply yet easily
-Gently hold the breath for 7 counts. Think of resting in the pause
-Exhale slowly for 8 counts through the mouth around the tongue (it will make a gentle woosh sound) 
-Repeat 4x to begin with (Can be increased to 8x after a month of regular practice.)
-Repeat at least two times a day, or even better, 3-4 x a day

This breath can be used to calm the nervous system, reduce mild to moderate anxiety, increase feelings of peaceful and calm, and may help you fall sleep (or get back to sleep if you wake up). It can also be used to help with cravings. 

Dr. Weill has tested 4-7-8 breath in patients with mild to moderate anxiety, and blood pressure has been shown to drop during the resting phase of this breath. 

Simple Relaxation Breath

This is simply an easier version of the 4-7-8 breath if that one seems too intimidating or if you don’t think you can be consistent with that one yet. The main component of both exercises involves diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) while extending the exhale longer than the inhale, which is what works to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. 

-Exhale with a sigh to begin
-Breathe into the body, allowing the belly, chest, and rib cage to expand without strain
-Pause at the top of the breath for a few counts
-Exhale, extending the exhalation more slowly (about twice as long) than the in breath – through the nose or the mouth
-Rest in the stillness at the bottom of the breath
-Continue breathing this way, in and out through the nose or in through the nose, out through the mouth
-Repeat until you feel more calm and relaxed

Make it a Habit

Keep in mind that results from conscious/mindful breathing come from a regular practice. 

Practice a minimum of two times a day – ideally more and most certainly any time you begin feeling stress or tension arising.

It may help to set an alarm each hour or every 90 minutes as a reminder until it becomes a natural habit throughout the day and when you notice any stress or tension. This could also be an alarm to drink water so that you stay hydrated throughout the day as well!

Another habit building technique (thanks to Stanford University Research Associate, BJ Fogg), is called habit stacking, where you add the desired habit after an established one. For example, “After I open my eyes in the morning/sit down at my computer/get in bed/etc., I will take 4 slow, deep diaphragmatic breaths.”

Proper breathing – utilizing the diaphragmatic breath – is an essential part of your health and well being. While there are many other factors, this is truly a foundational pillar. So, let’s close by taking one more breath together….

Smile… breathe into your belly… hold for several counts… exhale with a long, slow sigh… ahhhhhhhhh.

In support always of your optimal health and happiness!
Angela Shakti Sparks