Correct healthy breathing often called deep breathing and also called diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing in general is not often done properly. Too many people breathe from their chests only, which is not correct or healthy. When breathing, your goal should be to fill all of your lungs, not only the top of them. Shallow breathing can increase stress and anxiety, which over time can have adverse effects on one’s general health. Learning to do diaphragmatic breathing can help turn that around.
As it can take some concentration, begin somewhere you won’t have to think about anything else, at home alone perhaps or shut the door to your office and lay on the floor with a pillow. Do this: lay on your back on a bed or a couch, somewhere comfortable where you don’t have to engage your muscles to prop yourself into any position. The key is to make sure your muscles are not engaged so that you can fully enjoy the effects of relaxing into breathing and not become distracted. At first place one or both of your hands on your belly, not high, right around your belly button. Expel all of the air out of you lungs. Then slowly breathe in trying to “fill” you stomach with air. It takes concentration; often your chest will start to “fill” up first. If that happens refocus and either start over or try to fill your lower lungs again. It’s something you have to work at, so don’t stress about it not being perfect. After your lower lungs feel full, allow your middle chest to fill with air, right around breast area. Once that is full continue to breathe into the top of your lungs. As you practice the motions will become more fluid. You’ll be able to see first your stomach rise, and then middle chest and finally upper chest like a wave.
As you breathe it is okay to add a little resistance to help further focus your mind. Practice this several times daily. With time it will become habit to breathe into your lower lungs, not only your chest. You’ll end up doing it while walking or sitting or standing. You will feel more energized as your whole body is getting enough oxygen. You will also feel less stressed and frantic.
Diaphragmatic breathing will help to slow a racing heart, help you turn off the “fight or flight” part of your autonomic nervous system and switch to “rest and digest” and thus waste less energy. Try deep or diaphragmatic breathing to better your health today.
Square Breathing
Square breathing is something that can further bring down one’s stress level. Diaphragmatic breathing is natural to everyone. Watch a baby, you’ll see their cute little bellies filling up first before their little chests rise at all. Square breathing uses deep or diaphragmatic breathing but sets it too a pattern that is not completely natural. Square breathing can be used just to relax or along with mediation. In fact this kind of structured breathing can be like meditation. This is toted in the alternative health care field examples are massage and acupuncture as a great stress reducer and a great tool to aid those practices in bettering your well being. This kind of breathing is great because you get enough oxygen to nourish your body and mind and you have to concentrate on something simple which can refocus a scattered and stressed mind. Because it does not come naturally we have to work at it and having to practice it helps our brain even more.
There are four steps, they are as follows:
· Breathe in through nose for four seconds
· Hold your breath for four seconds
· Slowly breathe out for four seconds
· Wait four seconds before breathing in again
Continue doing this for four minutes or longer if you seem to need it or want to do it. Please remember to count slowly, if you become light headed return to normal breathing until you feel normal and then start back up again. If you counting seem too fast slow it down.
