Improve Your Body and Your Mind with Breathing Exercises

by Peter James Field

Most of us spend little or no time in consciously controlling our breathing

In fact for the majority of people, breathing is simply an automatic process that happens unconsciously. Unfortunately, this includes breathing in an unhealthy way.

Most of us are only too well aware of our own body's need for oxygen. Without it we would very quickly become unconscious and die.

Yet despite popular opinion, carbon dioxide is as essential to life as oxygen.

When we breathe in an incorrect manner, we automatically lessen the amount of carbon dioxide available to us and this can have a really harmful affect on our body - and our mind.

The point is that if there is not enough carbon dioxide in the blood then this creates 'alkaline blood', which causes restriction of the blood vessles.

And this in turn allows less oxygen to reach the vital organs.

Improper breathing which decreases carbon dioxide in our bodies can produce a whole array of health problems.

Included in these are cardiac problems, including 'angina' and palpitations.

The respitory functions may also be affected producing chest pain, shortness of breath and asthma. Also, muscular cramps, tremors and fibrositis may be experienced

As if this weren't enough, psychologically speaking, incorrect breathing that limits the amount of carbon dioxide available can create real tension, anxiety, sleep disturbances and a lack of concentration.

All of these things are good reasons for you to learn how to breathe in a proper and healthy way.

Here is an easy 5 step approach to breathing in a healthy way.

1. Inhale and exhale through the nose whenever possible, even during physical exercise. Because the nostrils are much smaller than the mouth, the volume of air is reduced.

2. Change from breathing with the chest to breathing with the abdomen or belly. An easy way to do this is to relax in a chair, put one hand on your tummy and the other on your chest and then breathe so that the hand on your chest hardly moves while the hand on your stomach rises and falls gently.

Once you have mastered this way of breathing, work on doing it while standing and then move on to learning how to use it when walking and moving around.

3. Focus on making your breathing shallow. Try to minimise the movement of the hand resting on your tummy.

4. Slow down your breathing so that you minimise it. The goal is to breathe somewhere around 6 to 8 breathes each minute - or about 1 every 10 seconds.

5. Work on developing a steady rhythm. This will cause you to stop holding your breath for irregular periods and then 'sighing'.

Practice breathing like this for a minimum of 3 times a day for at least 10 minutes.

Be patient!

It takes time to change anything as entrenched as our breathing habits, but with persistence you can certainly do it.

The effort really is worthwhile and, as the supply of oxygen to your body's vital organs improves so will your physical - and psychological health.

Peter Field is a leading English hypno-psychotherapist and author of many articles on psychotherapy, hypnosis and health. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Health and Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com

Air and The Art of Breathing

No one can live without air as one can without water for a few days and without food much longer. Therefore, nature has surrounded us with air on all sides so that we can get it without any effort.

We take in air through the nose into our lungs. The lungs act as a sort of bellows. The atmospheric air which we breathe in has a life-giving substance – a gas known as oxygen. The air that we breathe out contains poisonous gases. These can kill us if they are not immediately allowed to spread out and get diluted by the atmospheric air. Hence the necessity of proper ventilation.

The air comes into close contact with blood in the lungs and purifies it. Many people do not know the art of breathing. This defect prevents an adequate purification of their blood. Some people breathe through the mouth instead of through the nose. This is a bad habit. Nature has so designed the nose that it acts as a sort of filter for the ingoing air and also warms it. In mouth breathers the atmospheric air reaches the lungs without the preliminary filtration or warming.

It follows therefore that those who do not know how to breathe should take breathing exercises. They are as easy to learn as they are useful. I do not wish to go into a discussion of the various asanas or postures. I do not mean to say that these are not important of useful. But I do wish to emphasize that a well-regulated life is as important as the advantage of studying and practising elaborate postures or exercises. Any comfortable posture that ensures breathing through the nose and free chest expansion is good for our purpose.

Bad Breath: Not Always Sign of Illness

Lick your own wrist, wait until it dries, then smell the area. Or, sniff your own breath in front of a mirror. Just as the eyes may be windows into the soul, our breath may hint to our health too. If your breath is not sweet breath, but a stink, something may be wrong. Sometimes bad breath can have an impact on our social and professional life too.

Many people think that bad breath comes from the stomach or intestines. This rarely happens. In fact, bad breath may indicate conditions from periodontal, kidney, respiratory or liver disease to diabetes, lips tissue disease or injury. However, the most common problem associated with bad breath is periodontal disease. Just think how your breath would smell if you didn't brush your teeth for a week or after having a canned tuna. Not all cases of bad breath indicate a health problem. Food smells that are repulsive can be harmless. There are sometimes medical causes too, such as dry mouth, throat or tummy problems, for instance.

However, with good dental care, you can prevent pain or infection that, in some cases, can spread to other organs. Learn how to clean the teeth and mouth effectively. You can improve your oral hygiene by regular brushing and flossing, regular dental checkups, and the use of mouthwash is good too. In other case, you may need a professional treatment for a serious disorder that could jeopardize your health, such as kidney or liver disease. Depending on the underlying cause, many alternative therapeutic remedies can be used. Most bad breath can be treated successfully with good oral hygiene and or medical care by professionals. Just consult them and things will be okay.