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Weekly Newsletter Archive >
Take a Breath!
Take a Breath!
Oct 8, 2009
Did you know: You take between 18 and 26,000 breaths every day! You require 88 lbs. of oxygen daily – it is the most critical chemical in your body. Your brain alone requires 25% of the oxygen you take in. Breathing is the only bodily function which can be done either consciously or unconsciously. The average person uses only twenty percent of their lung capacity. Increasing oxygen content in all the cells of the body can produce dramatic changes in general health and mood. Depending on many factors such as your present weight and health, you can live for an extended period without food; you can only survive for 8-14 days without water, although you’d begin to suffer negative effects within hours. However, you can only live a matter of MINUTES without air. In fact after about six minutes without oxygen your brain begins to die! It is the most basic component of human survival.
It is easy to see that proper breathing is critical for a healthy life. From Genesis to Revelation breath is equated with life itself. Until God breathed the breath of life into Adam – he was not yet a living being (Genesis 2:7).
Noted natural health expert, Dr. Andrew Weil, has said that if he could only give one tip for better health, it would be to breathe properly. A clinical study of thousands of people done over a 30-year period agreed with his assessment, concluding that one of the most significant factors for maintaining optimum health and long life is how well you breathe. Dr. Colbert shared this important point in his book “The Seven Pillars of Health:” A paramedic who deals with life and death traumatic injuries all the time said the difference between those who live and those who die, regardless of the severity of the injuries, is that some simply quit breathing.
Breathing correctly is critical for many physical functions, such as:
Maintaining the proper level of oxygen necessary to produce energy - 93% of your energy is made aerobically, which means “in the presence of oxygen;”
Maintaining the necessary level of carbon dioxide for bodily functions;
Maintaining proper pH levels;
Removal of waste products - your body removes 70% of its waste products through breathing; and
Proper breathing also aids in relaxation, relieves muscular tension, energizes your mental abilities, increases flexibility and joint strength, and helps recovery from stress and exertion.
We take this absolutely critical function for granted. When you are upset, under stress or anxious, pay attention to your breathing. You will notice it becomes shallow and fast. In fact, one of the body’s automatic reactions to stress is rapid, shallow breathing. Proper breathing is the primary antidote for stress. Breathing slowly and deeply is one of the ways you can “turn off” the stress reaction and “turn on” your relaxation response.
Chest or shallow breathing is normal for adults, whereas most children very naturally practice abdominal or deep breathing. Abdominal breathing produces a calming effect on your brain and nervous system; relieves pain, reduces stress and relaxes muscles. Anxiety disorders, depression, irritability, muscle tension, headaches, poor concentration and fatigue can all be attributed, at least in part, to incorrect breathing.
So, now what am I saying? Do you need “breathing lessons” when this is something you’ve been doing since the moment you were born? Well, sort of. We all seem to shift from the natural, relaxed deep breathing we did at birth to shallow, ineffective breathing. But as I said earlier, this is one function we can choose to control. Breathing exercises are a very easy and effective way to reduce stress, increase energy and improve your mood.
Dr. Andrew Weil suggests the following exercises:
Breathing 101
One way to promote deeper breathing and better health is by exhaling completely. Try it: take a deep breath, let it out effortlessly, and then squeeze out a little more. Doing this regularly will help build up the muscles between your ribs, and your exhalations will naturally become deeper and longer. Start by practicing this exhalation exercise consciously, and eventually it will become a healthy, unconscious habit.
4-7-8 Breath.
Whenever you find yourself dwelling on stressful situations Dr. Weil suggests you develop the habit of shifting your attention to your breath instead. This exercise is very simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment and can be done anywhere. You can do this exercise in any position, but it’s best to sit with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of 4.
Hold your breath for a count of 7.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of 8.
This is one breath.
Inhale and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Remember, always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time. Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important; but the ratio of 4:7:8 is. *If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up, but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply. Try to practice at least twice a day. Do not do more than four breaths at one time for the first month of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to eight breaths. If you feel a little lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be concerned; it will pass.
Breathing is something we do constantly without giving it a second thought – yet it is the most critical factor for life and health. I encourage you to pay more attention to your breathing and may I suggest you do as Psalm 150:6 says: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Until next week, as always, I wish you abundant, overflowing health, peace and joy and I call you BLESSED!
Ann
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