Do you often think about breathing? Most people don’t, assuming as an “automatic” activity their breathing will take care of itself. It may be true that your body will make sure to take its next breath, but how can your awareness of your breathing benefit you? Does how you breathe affect other aspects of your health?
Many of your health concerns can be connected to how you breathe. After all, it is the mechanism that provides every cell in your body with life-giving oxygen. When your ability to breathe properly is compromised, you can expect some physical problems to develop.
In spite of the fact that breathing is an automatic function of the body, many people don’t breathe as nature intended. Often the cause is stress or tension. Such influences in our lives can become habit, leading the “automatic” process of breathing to be done improperly.
One of the most common habits is shallow breathing—breathing that focuses in the upper lungs and uses the muscles in the neck and upper chest area. In their book Breathe In, Breathe Out, authors Drs. Loehr and Migdow state, “Research has shown that slowing down and deepening our breath shifts us from the stress response to the relaxation response; this slows the heart, normalizes blood pressure, increases blood flow to the digestive system, deepens sleep, increases energy, focus, concentration, and memory—optimal breathing not only helps prevent or cure disease, it raises performance levels in school and sports.” That’s a pretty good list of benefits for just making sure that you’re breathing properly!
Why does abdominal (deep) breathing provide you with all these health advantages? Due to gravity, the lower portion of your lungs has a higher rate of blood flow. So your lungs and heart don’t have to work as hard and your circulatory system profits from this efficient means of oxygenating the blood. Deep, slow breathing is shown to release endorphins (the body’s natural pain suppressors) that bring about a feeling of relaxation and general well-being—a benefit you also get from massage.
As you incorporate better breathing into your life-style, try to do what you can to get as much fresh air as possible. In today’s society, with so many forms of air pollution, this can be a challenge. Your body will benefit from your efforts!
For information on how massage can help your breathing, read the article on the back page.
Massage Therapy and Breathing
Learning to breathe more naturally can benefit your health and well-being. Massage can help you breathe easier and more efficiently.
Breathing properly involves more of your body than you may realize. Tension in any area of your body can make it very difficult to breathe relaxedly. Try to take a slow, deep breath while tightening the muscles in your feet or your hips. Now try it again with all your muscles relaxed. You should notice quite a difference in your ability to breathe easily.
Shallow breathing can lead to muscle dysfunction in several areas of your body, such as the neck and upper chest.
Your regular massage sessions can help to relax and normalize muscles throughout your body that can facilitate improved breathing. And in turn, your adoption of better breathing techniques can help to prevent a build-up of tension that leads to tight muscles, etc. When you maintain a regular schedule for massage, you will probably notice you feel much better on a day-to-day basis and experience fewer recurring physical complaints.
You can strengthen your results by including regular exercise and slow stretching in your regimen. If you’d like more information, please ask at your next appointment.
Try this breathing technique from Breathe In, Breathe Out ...
Abdominal Breath: Natural Breath
1. Lie on your back or stand or sit comfortably and place your hands on your stomach (abdomen).
2. Inhale slowly and deeply, letting your abdomen expand like a balloon.
3. Let the abdomen fall as you exhale slowly, releasing old, stale air.
4. Inhale easily. Feel your tummy expand again.
5. Press the air out as you contract, as you pull in your abdomen while exhaling.
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