"Just breathing can be such a luxury sometimes."
- Walter Kirn
How often do you think about breathing? It's not something we need to think about. Although, it can be very helpful to think about our breathing, especially when our breathing is not normal. Our breathing patterns help regulate our nervous system, so when we are breathing properly, we are helping to ensure optimal physical health. Unfortunately, we never learn about proper breathing, unless we happen to pick it up in a yoga class or therapy session. Something very beneficial we can do for our overall health is to learn proper breathing techniques.
The proper way to breathe, especially when we are inhaling, is through our nose. The main reason for this is that our nostrils, nose hairs and all, act as a filter for outside particles. Nasal breathing also releases nitric oxide out our nose which helps improve oxygen circulation in our bodies. Other benefits to nasal breathing include increased lung capacity, increased airflow to the arteries, veins and nerves, and reduced risk of snoring or sleep apnea. If we are not eating or talking, there is no need for our mouth to be open. We can allow our nose to do all the work when it comes to our oxygen intake.
Photo by Berend de Kort on Pexels
Another important aspect of breathing is our patterns of breath. The most beneficial way to breathe is by taking slow deep breaths. This allows us to take in the most amount of air available to us. Oxygen is our life force. If we need it to live, it benefits us to be mindful of how we are breathing. There are a variety of breathing techniques that help people regulate their breathing and manage stress and anxiety. Breathing is one of those self-care tools we have where we don't have to spend any money to benefit from doing it properly. We just have to learn how to maximize our breath.
There is no shortage to the benefits of proper breathing. We should not only do it to maintain good health, we should be leveraging it to increase our health and quality of life. Think of it the same way you would think about filling up your car at the pump. How well we breathe could be the difference between filling our bodies with regular unleaded or high octane. And as I already mentioned, there is not cost difference. We just have to invest in better breathing. How's that for a nice breath of fresh air? The more you nose. 👃🏼
More Wellness!
Harvard Health: 6 ways to maximize lung health
Medical News Today: Useful breathing techniques to consider trying
Very Well Mind: The Benefits of Deep Breathing
