When I saw this card I had a good laugh.
It’s funny because it’s true! Do you ever catch yourself holding your breath or realize you have been breathing shallowly most of the day?
We all need a reminder to take deep breaths throughout the day to help keep stress levels in check. One of the simplest ways to do this is to tack a sticky note with a reminder to take 10 deep breaths to someplace you look at everyday like your computer, steering wheel, or a mirror. Or you can even purchase a breathing app for your phone to help you breathe!
The simplest breathing technique to learn is Abdominal or Diaphragmatic Breathing.
Sit up straight in a chair or lie down on the floor and place your hands over your belly. Inhale through your nose and begin filling your lungs all the way to the bottom so you feel your belly expanding and then exhale slowly emptying your lungs completely and feel your belly relaxing. Try to do this for at least 10 breaths or for 10 minutes if you have more time.
The more you incorporate deep breathing into your day the less stressed out you will feel.
If you practice deep breathing for 10 minutes or more it helps elicit your body’s relaxation response, a term coined by Dr. Herbert Benson which is “a physical state of deep rest that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress…and the opposite of the fight or flight response.” In addition to relieving stress, below is a list of ten reasons to help inspire you to make a regular practice of deep breathing.
1. Relaxes your nervous system – when you take deep breaths it switches on your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of you nervous system that calms you down.
2. Improves your digestion – deep breathing massages all of your internal organs and stimulates the peristaltic activity in your intestines enhancing digestion and elimination.
3. Strengthens your lungs – shallow breathing restricts your lung capacity and deep breathing expands the lungs improving the health of the lungs and can help prevent asthma related breathing issues.
4. Makes your heart stronger – the heart muscle receives more oxygen and doesn’t have to work as hard to oxygenate the tissues and helps improves blood flow and pressure.
5. Increases your energy level – increasing oxygen levels in the blood can lead to more energy.
6. Releases tension – muscles respond by relaxing when you breathe deeply.
7. Reduces pain – When you breathe into your pain instead of fighting it, it can actually lessen the intensity of it.
8. Detoxifies the blood – toxins get eliminated through the breath and shallow breathing causes the organs to have to work harder to remove toxins in the body and can lead to illness.
9. Relieves emotional distress – deep breathing signals the nervous system to relax and allows your emotions to regain equilibrium.
10. Improves concentration – focusing on the breath clears the mind of distracting thoughts and help bring greater clarity of the present moment and can enhance creative
Setting aside time to practice deep breathing on a daily basis can significantly improve your health and your overall quality of life. Try it for 30 days and see what changes you notice. I’d love to hear about your experiences so please leave me a reply! Oh and don’t forget to drink plenty of water too!!!
