Breathe into your best life

Joseph Pilates said, “Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it.” While this is very obvious, and you are most definitely breathing as you read this article, you are most likely not breathing properly - or at the very least, not breathing most effectively.

On a physiological level, we understand that we need to breathe to allow for gaseous exchange in the lungs. Oxygen in; carbon dioxide out. Without this process, toxins would build up in our blood and there would be no oxygen present for metabolic processes; there would be no life.

Over the past few years, the benefits of breathing on mental and emotional health have become increasingly popular. Studies have shown that practising breathing exercises and mindfulness has a positive correlation with the alleviation of anxiety, stress and depression, promoting mental capacity and positive emotions.

Just like with physical activity, habitual practice returns the best results. There are some simple breathing exercises that can be done twice a day, everyday, for a myriad of benefits, including an overall down-regulation of the nervous system which tends to be in the “fight or flight” response most of the time, thanks to the stressful times we live in.

The best place to begin is with 4-7-8 breathing. Try it now: exhale as much as possible and close your mouth. Inhale through the nose for 4 counts, hold your breath for 7 counts and then exhale through the mouth like you’re blowing out a candle for 8 counts. Repeat the 4-7-8 cycle four times in total. Do this morning and night for a month and then use it to deal with anxiety and cravings. Don’t stop there - continue for the rest of your life and reap the rewards in abundance.

Now, for those who are feeling particularly stressed out about starting the new year right, you don’t have a month to get this practice down. Obviously you need to get started on it for the long-term benefits, but what can you do right now? What can you do, if you have a moment of panic? 

You may already know the “physiological sigh”. Do one to three repetitions to feel more relaxed. Try it now: exhale as much as possible and close your mouth. Inhale through the nose deep into the belly. Then do a second inhale through the nose - make it short, sharp and into the chest. Then open your mouth and exhale without any force. When you have more time, repeat for up to 5 minutes, once or twice a day. Again, this is a practice that you should incorporate into your daily routine - forever. Check out this short video for a demonstration and some more information: Reduce Anxiety & Stress with the Physiological Sigh | Huberman Lab Quantal Clip

Breathe to survive. Breathe with intention to thrive.