A Breath of Fresh Air
It seems so basic. We've been doing it all our lives. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. We don't even think about it for the most part. However, breathing is not as basic as it seems, and there are many ways to alter our breathing to achieve different results.

When you feel stressed, one of the first things to do is to take a deep breath. The way to do this is to breathe in through your nose, feel the air go into your chest, then into your abdomen. Then breathe out through your mouth, first from your abdomen, then your chest. Make sure that both the inhalation and exhalation are slow and controlled. Have your arms at your sides, not crossed. This will keep your chest open and ready to expand with the breath. Try it - take a deep breath in. It feels good, doesn't it?

Stress causes your breathing and heart rate to increase, and gets your body into it's "fight or flight" mode. A few deep breaths can reset this state. Slow deep breathing will in turn slow your heart rate, help you to relax, bringing your body into it's "rest and digest" mode. Need a bit more help? Try sniffing one of your favourite scents as you inhale. If you don't have a favourite, try lavender or vanilla. Both are involved with improving mood and relaxation.

A deep breath can not only change your mood, but can help if you are tired (think of a yawn!). A deep breath allows more oxygen into your body than normal shallow breath. That can help to wake you up - very useful if you find yourself nodding off at your desk.

Proper breathing is very important for exercising, as shown to us in a wide variety of sports. Tennis players yell as they hit the ball, because the forceful exhalation of the yell strengthens the core muscles, giving them a better hit. That is practiced in most forms of martial arts, also. Runners keep their breathing slow and controlled, breathing in through the nose, out through the mouth. This stops runners from breathing too fast and hyperventilating. In both pilates and weight-lifting breathing out accompanies muscle contraction, and breathing in as the muscle elongates. Again, this is especially important for the core muscles, but applies to the whole body. Muscles are stronger as you breath out. But make sure you remember to breath, not hold your breathe. Your muscles need oxygen to work, and holding your breathe deprives them of that.

This may be a lot of information about something so innate. So, if you're feeling overwhelmed, that's ok…..just stop and smell the roses.