All of our lives, if we are human, we have been breathing. But, breathing isn’t something that we really ever think about. We just breathe. We inhale—we exhale. We don’t realize how wonderful breathing is, until we can’t. We take it so for granted.
Breathing is more than you may think. You may know that it is a critical step in learning how to meditate, however it also plays a critical role in your health – it impacts your entire body.
Good breathing can help:
- prevent insomnia
- calm the mind, allowing you to take control of your thoughts
- lower blood pressure and the heart rate
- support detoxification, which rids the body of carbon dioxide
- slow the aging process and boost your immune system
- aid digestion
- increase the metabolism
- improve circulation
- fuel every cell in your body
- wake up your brain, which promotes clearer thinking
- make you feel happier
Athletes are a great example of how breathing can be applied in practice. They train using breathing techniques. This gives them more focus and extra stamina and energy by pumping oxygen and blood to the brain and muscles. With this, they can perform at their very best and under high pressure scenarios where focus is critical to a successful win in the competition.
Additionally, when you breathe deeply, good brain chemicals are released, endorphins. Twenty-percent of your oxygen is needed for your brain alone!
By learning to control your breath, you can learn to control fear and other negative emotions that may prevent you from achieving your current goals. Most importantly, deep breathing helps you to manage your everyday stress so you can enjoy life and be in joy. Change does not happen overnight, but it is a day by day process. Focused, deep breathing is one the greatest pleasures in life!