Three Part Breathing Practice
We all know good health requires a balanced diet and reasonable exercise. Healthy breathing is not a function that most of us think about for good health. Unfortunately, many of us breathe in a manner that is unhealthy due to stress.
Throughout the day, become aware of how you are breathing. Give your attention to your breath and know when you breathe in and out. Breathe naturally without influencing the breath. When you inhale, do your belly and chest both rise, only your chest, or only your belly? Do you breathe through your mouth, nose, or both? Is your breathing quiet or can you hear it? Count the time it takes to inhale and exhale. Is your in-breath longer than your out-breath, equal, or shorter?
When you experience stressful breathing, it will be shallow, fast, and rough. The inhale may be longer than the exhale. The breath will be in the chest with little belly breathing. This could be your normal way of breathing or it may occur only when you are stressed.
A healthy, relaxed breath is deep, slow, and quiet. You want to breathe in a full breath, starting low in the belly, and when the lungs are full, effortlessly release the breath. If you have a full breath, your body will want to exhale. The exhale should be as long as or longer than the inhale. The exhale should squeeze the lungs of most of the old breath. This relaxed breathing may lower the fight or flight symptoms of increased blood pressure and higher heart rate we can experience during times of stress. Healthy breathing helps you to relax and let go of stress.
Here is an exercise that can deepen your breath and can be done in less than a minute. Inhale a third, or less, of one regular breath into your belly and lower ribs. Next breathe into your middle ribs with another third, or less, of a full in-breath. Finish the inhale by filling your upper chest in the same manner. Allow the exhale to happen in whatever way is comfortable. Just make sure the exhale is equal to or longer than the inhale. Help all areas to expand and contract in the front, sides, and back. Try to breathe through your nose at all times if possible. Practice the exercise for three to ten full breaths each time. A full breath is one inhale and one exhale.
In the beginning, less is better. Stay with partial breaths that are easy. If it becomes uncomfortable, go back to your regular breathing or breathe in a smaller amount of air into each of the sections. As this exercise becomes more comfortable, start increasing the fullness of each area and add repetitions.
If you consistently practice this simple breathing exercise, full, relaxed, and smooth inhales and exhales will become your normal way of breathing. You will naturally feel more relaxed and peaceful.
