Breath Awareness

Are you aware of how you breathe? You could be doing improperly!

Are you breathing correctly? It’s a strange question if you’ve never thought about it before. Our breath is our life-force, so it’s important to get our breathing technique right. Take a moment now to take a deep breath in and notice whether your abdomen goes in or out during your inhale. What happens as you exhale?  Now check below to see how you are breathing.

• Shallow chest breathing is your abdomen going in and chest rising on the in breath and falling on the out breath. If this is how you breathe, you are not alone. This is what many people have become used to over the course of their lives.

• Deep abdominal breathing is our natural way of breathing yet many people don’t become aware of this until they need to focus on the breath specifically. Dancers, singers, athletes, martial artists and yoga practitioners are all taught to re-train their bodies to breathe this way. Once you try deep abdominal breathing and get used to it, you will see how constricting and shallow chest breathing feels.

If you don’t breathe this way, try it now. Place your hand over your abdomen. As you breathe in through your nose, feel your abdomen expand like a balloon. As you breathe out through the mouth, contract your abdomen inward pulling navel to spine, expelling the oxygen through your mouth. If you are new to abdominal breathing it may feel strange at first. Yet you will also feel how much deeper your breaths are and how much more oxygen you are taking in. This is the body’s natural way of breathing and if you take the time to practice for a few minutes each day you will easily and automatically resume this style of breathing without even thinking about it.

Conscious Deep Breathing Exercise for Re-training or Relaxation

To start re-training your body to breathe abdominally, breathe in deeply through the nose for a count of 10 filling the belly up, and then exhale slowly through the mouth for a count of 10 pulling the belly in. Do this 10 times.

Aside from re-training yourself to breathe abdominally, this is an extremely effective exercise you can do anytime you are feeling stressed, rushed or when you are in the middle of a difficult situation or interaction. The combination of deep, slow breaths and a conscious focus on your breathing immediately makes you feel calmer and more relaxed. Your mind will feel clearer and more focused. It helps you to be more alert and aware on many levels. On a physical level, it is slowing the heart rate and getting more oxygen to your brain and blood cells. It helps you to stay present and focused on the now moment. These are also the reasons deep breathing is such an important part of yoga practice.

This deep breathing exercise is a great way to start your meditations. It is also a great meditation all of its own, especially if you find other types of meditation hard.  It is beneficial to do this first thing in the morning, as it creates a good space from which to start your day. It can also be very helpful to use before sleep for people who have trouble sleeping, or just to get a deeper, more restful sleep. Deep breathing feels much better for your body, it helps you to achieve a more peaceful state of being more of the time, and as an added benefit, it tones your stomach muscles! Try it yourself and see how you feel.

Going back to abdominal breathing, along with taking a few minutes every now and again for the deep, conscious breathing exercise, helps you look and feel more youthful. With so many positive affects on your body, mind and spirit, it is a free and simple way to keep you young and healthy regardless of physical age.

Article Written By:  Dana Mrkich is a writer, energy reader and spiritual intuitive. She has given readings to clients all around the world for over 12 years and now also specializes in Email Readings, channeling pages of guidance from your guides and higher consciousness. Her first book A New Chapter is due out later this year. For more info, or to subscribe to her newsletter, please email dana@danamrkich.com or visit: www.danamrkich.com

© Dana Mrkich 2007