I will laugh at the laughable while I breathe
Mary Boykin Chesnut
We’ve all heard it. We’ve all done it……
Take some slow, deep breaths.
BUT – how many of us do it often enough???
Unfortunately we take breathing for granted. WHY – because our bodies automatically do it for us. And yet – far too many of us take shallow, quick breaths that don’t support our bodies or brains.
A quick bit of research revealed some common symptoms for people who breathe in a fast and shallow way.
Cold hands and feet Feeling cold Fatigue Coughing Excess phlegm Yawning Sighing
I can think of three times in my life when I learned how important breathing is:
- As a child I did some competitive swimming. Breath control was important to help with my stamina and strokes when I was competing.
- When I first developed mild asthma I had to learn to breathe slowly and calmly. If I didn’t, my symptoms got worse and my chest got tighter. I also began to do deep breathing exercises to strengthen my lungs and use my diaphragm to regulate the air flow.
- My first riding instructor told me that holding my breath would upset my horse. I thought she was nuts! And yet it’s the truth. She told me to sing ‘Row, row, row your boat’ if my horse was upset or spooking. Cause if you are singing you can’t hold your breath. BRILLIANT
True confession – I’m still not the best breather in the world. I do meditate every day for fifteen minutes. It’s a guided meditation and I get the daily reminder to be aware of my breath. I’m sure it helps – but even my chiropractor told me that deep breathing is the simplest, cheapest and most effective habit to being healthy. Truly it’s as simple as taking a deep breath.
Lucky for me and for you. I found a great article called “What Deep Breathing Does For Your Body”. It’s a very short and very interesting read. Oh and practice some deep breathing while you’re reading it.
Another terrific resource called “Breathing Techniques – A Guide to the Science and Methods” has been brought to my attention. It’s loaded with outstanding information about breathing for good health. Lots of great graphics to make things easy to understand. Also makes it easy to read and find info that interests you.
If you have any stories, insights or resources to share about good breathing – please share what you know below in the comments section. Let’s add this simple practice – which can be done anywhere, to our daily activity. Actually, it’s something that I often think to do while driving. It’s calming and increases my attentiveness with better blood flow. Look forward to hearing from you.
