Principles of Breathing

Learning how to breathe properly will have dramatic benefits to your health and strength in more ways than you can imagine. We are all born with the ability to breathe properly however factors such as stress, poor posture, sedentary lifestyles and sometimes the desire to ‘draw in the belly’ to look thinner all contribute to dysfunctional breathing.

Proper breathing can have a multitude of beneficial effects such as decreased inflammation, improved sleep, increased activation of the lymphatic system, less colds, reduction in stress & anxiety, mental health benefits, heightened focus, and increased strength to name a few.

Most people are chest breathers which is evident by simply observing one’s shoulders and see whether they elevate or not. This is even more pronounced if asked to take a deep breath in. Ironically this way of breathing only allows for partial oxygen uptake.

Chest breathing contracts the muscles of the neck, chest and shoulders every breathe.

Humans on average take 20,000 breaths every day so if you ever wondered why the above muscles are chronically tight, no amount of stretching or massage will get rid of it unless the underlying problem is resolve

We should be breathing into our waist which is what we call diaphragmatic breathing. Our diaphragm is a parachute like muscle below our lungs which contract downwards on a breath in allowing our lungs to fully expand. When we exhale, the diaphragm relaxes upwards pushing up into the lungs as we expel carbon dioxide.

Additionally, our breathing should come from an inhalation through the nose instead of the mouth the majority of the time. Certain situations such as specific breathing techniques, a stuffy nose or swimming necessitate breathing in through our mouth however our default method should be nasal inhalations.

Nasal breathing increases nitric oxide production will widen blood vessels and allows more oxygen uptake throughout the body. It will also filter and moisten the air we breathe in whereas the mouth does not.

How to Breathe:

Learning how to breathe diaphragmatically is actually quite simple starting with two variations.

Supine Position –

Begin by laying on your back with your knees bent with one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Focus on breathing deep into your stomach so that only your hand on your stomach moves and your chest does not.

Action:

Set a timer for a pre-determined time and perform this at least once a day. A general guideline is 5 minutes performed 1-4 times a day however this can be adjusted depending on your situation. There is no limit to how often/long you can do this.

Seated Position –

Any seated position will do whether you are sitting down cross-legged, kneeling on your shins or seated in a chair. The only cue I would instruct universally is imagine a tall and erect spine that is relaxed.

I personally enjoy and recommend the zazen postures which you can read more about here.

Action:

The same instructions as above. Eventually you will need to be able to do this while standing, walking and whichever modality you choose for cardio such as running or rowing.

How to know if you're doing this correctly:

1. Your abdomen should expand

2. Your waist should expand laterally

3. Your lower back just above your hip bones should push out

You can place your fingers in the above spots as you breathe and feel whether they are expanding or not.

During your breathing practice, some key points you should consider:

1. Your breathing should not feel strained but rather easy. Generally speaking, your breathing will be barely audible;

2. Close your eyes;

3. Breathe by expanding your belly in a 360° manner and not your chest;

4. Focus purely on your breath and let your senses amplify;

5. If any thoughts, emotions or distractions enter your mind simply let them through just as one observes an aeroplane pass over them;

6. Recenter yourself by focusing in on your inhale and exhale;

7. Exit your breathing practice slowly;

During the day as you breathe, use these sessions as a reference point and ask yourself: am I chest breathing or diaphragmatically breathing right now?

The time it will take to retrain your breath will vary from person to person however don't make it the goal. Simply focus on your breath, build your awareness, recenter yourself and everything will work out in the end.

Even when one has trained themselves to breathe properly throughout the day, the above sessions are still worth doing as you may of have noticed it is a form of meditation which has a multitude of benefits.