Breathing: that involuntary yet vital act that keeps us alive thanks to a wonderful combination of elements, movements and reactions that go unnoticed.
However, have you ever choked on a sip of water for a few seconds? The feeling of drowning while catching your breath is really scary. It is an instinctive fear that wants to save our lives.
We obviously take for granted the act of breathing. I remember seeing some announcements on the streets of Barcelona. They belonged to the Catalan Association of Cystic Fibrosis and they had a motto that have deeply surprised me from the moment I saw it:
You breathe without thinking … I just think about breathing.
We must learn to recognize the act of breathing because breathing properly has incredible benefits for our body and our mind:
From practicing exercise to being able to sleep deeply, good breathing allows the body to have more oxygen and better distribute it through our organism. This essential oxygen reaches every cell, allowing them to perfectly function. If we do not breathe well when exercising, our body is going to feel it.
If we don’t breathe well when sleeping, we are going to be tired and it will be difficult for us to concentrate throughout the day.
Benefits of Deep Breathing
-Better oxygenation throughout the body
-It improves attention and concentration
-It calms and relaxes the nerves
-We’ll be able to sleep easily
-It improves our sleeping quality
-It prevents you from waking up tired
-It improve decision-making capacity
-It allows us to enjoy the day
It’s all about attitude, but if we add good, easy and healthy practices to it, we will be able to improve our life and everything around us.
Breathing is so important that yoga and meditation movements are increasing worldwide and it is pretty obvious why: these practices teach us to relax a little more, to have a calm mind, to learn to understand and to better carry our thoughts and feelings. Breathing is the basic principle of these practices.
Deep breathing in your daily life helps you to feel that everything is under control and it can completely change your day.
Before any tense, angry, annoying, worrying or stressful situation:
-Take a break wherever you are.
-Take a deep breath and breathe five times.
-Then breathe five more times.
-And thank yourself for making an effort to feel better in that moment.
Better breathing is healthier.
You can email me to doctoramariana@crhoy.com to let me know about your breathing experience.
Doctor Mariana Calleja