Healthful and Stress Reducing Breathing Techniques

By Helen

Breathing is the number one way of getting oxygen into our bodies and it is also the number one method for getting rid of toxins as we breathe out. Without oxygen, all animal life would die. Without the carbon dioxide we breathe out, plants would die and life as we recognize it on the planet would change or cease to exist.

Eliminate Pain with Breathing Techniques

Runners often experience what is commonly called a side stitch. A side stitch is a burning, often piercing pain in the side that comes on with exercise and is usually caused by gas bubbles trapped in the intestines. To alleviate the pain of a side stitch, inhale deeply, pull in the abdominal muscles and exhale forcefully. Do this about 10 times and the stitch will be a thing of the past.

Breathing Lessons

Dealing with stress is not always easy. But while we cannot eliminate all stress from our lives, we can create an atmosphere in which stress is drastically reduced. Learning to breathe correctly is the first step. Set aside 10 minutes in the morning and in the evening for this breathing lesson. In order to do the breathing lessons correctly it's important that you lie on the floor or bed or sit in a comfortable chair with one hand on your abdomen and the other on your chest. Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose. (If done correctly the hand on your chest will barely move while the hand on your abdomen will rise.) Exhale slowly through your nose. Continue for up to 10 minutes. To relax your entire body, learn to take deep invigorating and calming breaths when you are feeling anxious or agitated. Inhale deeply and exhale slowly, making sure you empty your lungs each time. Breathing correctly has a visible impact on your health because breathing helps eliminate inflammation in the body and is necessary for every cell.

Oxygen Facts

We tend to take breathing for granted, but consider these facts:

Cancer does not survive in high levels of oxygen.
Poor breathing or lack of oxygen worsens all medical conditions including chronic conditions such as anemia, anxiety, asthma, allergies, depression, heart conditions, high blood pressure, and stress.
Breathing provides approximately 99 percent of your body's energy.
When more oxygen is delivered to the lungs, the blood cells have more oxygen to distribute throughout the body. More oxygen in the body improves circulation.
Shortness of breath and heart disease go hand in hand. If the heart is deprived of oxygen, spasms occur.
Breathing is essential to sleep patterns. Oxygen replenishes the cells in the body and is a requirement of "feeling rested" when you awaken each morning.
Because oxygen burns fat and calories, correct and optimal breathing techniques promote weight loss.
Emotional issues such as anxiety, depression and other mental disorders occur when the nervous system is out of whack.
High blood pressure and poor breathing go hand in hand.

Because the human body peaks in the mid twenties, it's important to maintain a healthy body by becoming involved in exercises and activities that increase lung capacity. Learning how to breathe and practicing breathing techniques helps promote good vitality and better quality of life.

Sources: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_relief_meditation_yoga_relaxation.htm

http://www.dhyansanjivani.org/import_of_breath.asp

http://www.helium.com/items/767498-could-humans-survive-with-no-vegetation-on-earth

http://www.breathing.com/

http://www.breathing.com/articles/autonomic-nervous-system.htm