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MOST OF US never think about our breath. It just happens. But breathing is also one of the few bodily functions we can control, allowing us to, say, swim or play a trumpet. Controlled breathing--taking full, diaphragmatic breaths and exhaling slowly or completely--can also improve your overall health; research shows that it can help lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and cut the risk of heart disease.
breathing relaxes
Breathing fully and completely helps the body by relaxing the nervous system, says Timothy McCall, M,D., author of Yoga as Medicine (Bantam, 2007), a guide to using yoga to treat several chronic conditions including migraines, obesity, and arthristis (See "The Peaceful Path to Weight Loss" in our March 2008 issue or at naturalhealthmag.com). "Many people take short inhales that primarily go to the upper chest, which is like getting tiny shots of adrenaline 15 times a minute," McCall explains.
That kind of shallow, fast breathing can affect the immune system and worsen degenerative diseases. "It can exacerbate anxiety, insomnia, and may potentially contribute to digestive problems like irritable bowel syndrome," he says.
breathing relieves anxiety
A core component of yoga, breathing exercises--known as pranayama, a Sanskrit word meaning "lengthening of the prana," or breath--can help reduce anxiety and combat feelings of mild depression, according to clinical research. One long-term study has also shown that yogic breathing can help reduce the stress symptoms connected to obsessive-compulsive disorder: Eight participants at the University of California, San Diego study reported feeling less stress after one year of breath-training classes. Three members of the group went off their anxiety medication, and two others reduced their dosage.
breathing: one woman's experience
A common form of yogic breathing, ujjayi (oo-jai-ee) is done by inhaling and exhaling deeply through your nose while constricting the back of the throat, making a noise some compare to the sound of an ocean. Ujjayi breathing helped Lora Shinn, 32, a writer in Seattle, deliver her nine-pound son without "being overtaken by anxiety." She tried music and aromatherapy, but says ujjayi was what really worked.
try these easy breathing practices
Start benefitting from full, natural breathing. Test these three exercises, suggested by Dennis Lewis, author of Free Your Breath, Free Your Life (Shambala, 2004) and qigong instructor in Scottsdale, Ariz.
1. Mindfulness breathing Sit comfortably, with closed eyes and an erect but relaxed spine. Breathe slowly and gently through your nose. When distracting thoughts, feelings, or external sounds occur, acknowledge their existence then let them go, returning your attention to your breath. Start with ten minutes and work up to 20 or 30 minutes daily.
2. Deep breathing to reduce stress Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, warm your hands by rubbing them together, and then place them on your abdomen. Breathe in through your nose and quietly out through pursed lips (which helps make the exhalation longer than the inhalation). Feel your abdomen expanding with each inhalation and retracting with each exhalation. Once you learn this lying down, do the same exercise sitting or standing whenever you need to de-stress. Start with five minutes, and increase your time as you get the hang of it.
3. "Smile" breathing to reduce pain When you're experiencing pain or stress, try smiling. It may feel forced and unnatural at first, but that will change if you can hold it for at least a couple of minutes. Sense yourself inhaling through your nose and your smile. Direct the combined energy of the smile and your breath to the area that hurts. Exhale through pursed but relaxed lips (as if you were gently blowing on a single candle), and imagine the pain being released. Do this for a minimum of five minutes at a time.
