Becoming conscious of our breathing, and controlling a proper technique has innumerable benefits. It is the first step to relaxation and energization. 

Mastering the breath helps to manage better our energy level. 

In some practice such as Yoga, the Prāṇāyāma (breath control) leads also to purify the organism...

 

 

Breathing is a vital energy for most of living being. But our contemporary lifestyle tends to get us away from our inner feelings. Since centuries and especially in Eastern cultures, the power of the breath is considered as essential in the flow of vital energy.

 

Life: "If the breathing is at all unsettled, life is not your own". 

Qiu, ancestral teacher

 

Yoga: “Master your breath, let the self be in bliss, contemplate on the sublime within you”. 

Krishnamacharya, yoga master.

 

Meditation: "Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor". 

Thích Nhất Hạnh, buddhist monk

 

 

Benefits

In my personal practice, I often do relax breathing training with athletes because it is quite usual to notice that most of them don't master their breath properly. This technique helps also access to a relaxing state and mental imagery.
Then, it’s release stress and allow us to practice other skills as mental imagery or relaxation.

 

1. Breathing Detoxifies and Releases Toxins
The body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing. When the breathing isn't proper, the body isn't ridding of its toxins correctly.
When the air is exhaled from the body, it releases CO2 that has been passed through from the bloodstream into the lungs. CO2 is a natural waste of the body and metabolism.

2. Breathing Releases Tension
When there is tension, angriness, scariness or stress, the body feels constricts. The muscles get tight and the breathing becomes shallow. When the breathing is shallow and then, it doesn't give the amount of oxygen that the body needs.

3. Breathing Relaxes the Mind/Body and Brings Clarity
Oxygenation of the brain reduces excessive anxiety levels. Paying attention to the breathing. Breathing slowly, deeply and purposefully into the body. Noticing any places that are tight and breathing into them. As the relaxation comes to your body, the breathing will bring clarity and insights.

4. Breathing Relieves Emotional Problems
Breathing help to clear uneasy feelings out of the body, it is essential during a conflict, for example, a couple of purposeful breathes could help to keep calm and having an appropriate behaviour.

5. Breathing Relieves Pain
What happens to the breathing when a pain is anticipated pain? The breath is probably held. Studies have shown that breathing into pain helps to ease it.

6. Breathing Massages The Organs
The movements of the diaphragm during the deep breathing exercise massages the stomach, small intestine, liver and pancreas. The upper movement of the diaphragm also massages the heart. During inhale, the diaphragm descends and the abdomen expand. By this action, the vital organs are massaged and it improves the circulation in them. Controlled breathing also strengthens and tones the abdominal muscles.
Same thing during stretching: holding a position without “pulling”, it is the breathing movement that will stretch and increase flexibility.

 

7. Breathing Increases Muscle

Breathing is the oxygenation process to all of the cells in the body. With the supply of oxygen to the brain this increases the muscles in the body.

8. Breathing Strengthens the Immune System
Oxygen travels through the bloodstream by attaching to haemoglobin in the red blood cells. This in turn then enriches the body to metabolise nutrients and vitamins.

9. Breathing Improves Posture
Good breathing techniques over a sustained period of time will encourage good posture. Bad body posture will result in incorrect breathing so this is such an important process by getting the posture right from early on you will see great benefits. A good posture (standing straight, shoulders relaxed, look straight…) will also have a good impact on self-confidence.
When someone feels insecure, his posture isn't proper: mind impacts the body. But having a good posture purposefully enhance self-confidence body impacts also the mind.

10. Breathing Improves Quality of the Blood
Deep breathing removes all the CO2 and increases O2 in the blood and thus increases blood quality.

11. Breathing Increases Digestion and Assimilation of food

The digestive organs such as the stomach receive more oxygen and hence operates more
efficiently. The digestion is further enhanced by the fact that the food is oxygenated more.
 

12. Breathing Improves the Nervous System
The brain, spinal cord and nerves receive increased oxygenation and are more nourished. This improves the health of the whole body, since the nervous system communicates to all parts of the body.

13. Breathing Strengthen the Lungs
As breathing deeply the lung become healthy and powerful, a good insurance against
respiratory problems.

14. Proper Breathing makes the Heart Stronger.
Breathing exercises reduce the workload on the heart in two ways. Firstly, deep breathing leads to more efficient lungs, which means more oxygen, is brought into contact with blood sent to the lungs by the heart. So, the heart doesn't have to work as hard to deliver oxygen to the tissues.
Secondly, deep breathing leads to a greater pressure differential in the lungs, which leads to an increase in the circulation, thus resting the heart a little.

15. Proper Breathing assists in Weight Control.
In case of overweight, the extra oxygen burns up the excess fat more efficiently.

In case of underweight, the extra oxygen feeds the starving tissues and glands.

16. Breathing Elevates Moods

Breathing increase pleasure-inducing neurochemicals in the brain to elevate moods and combat physical pain.

 

17. Breathing Boosts Energy levels and Improves Stamina

18. Breathing Improves Cellular Regeneration

 

 

 

Practice

In this website, there are many breathing techniques to exercise.

The purpose of each of them is different: relaxation, energization, or purification

 

 

 

Tips

 

Identify what is your need at the moment.

Rate yourself on an imaginary 1 to 10 scale depending on what you want to evaluate.

 

For instance: 

- There is an important competition tomorrow, my need is to relax.

"How relax I am now? 3/10. Relaxation breathing  exercises will help me to raise this score."

 

- The competition starts in 30', my need is to energize.

"How energetic I am now? 5/10. Energetic breathing  exercises will help me to raise this score."