Breathing, the first thing we do when we come to this world.
Besides the importance of oxygenating our blood and brain cells, breathing is a vital aspect to manage emotions, physical performance and focus.
Imagine you are facing a challenge, you have a very important presentation, performance. Or have to make a big decision…
We all know that feeling when we get tense and emotions start boiling rapidly. The simple act of breathing with consciousness can alter our state of mind in seconds, preventing unnecessary stress and irritability and allowing you to control your emotions.
By knowing this and training the way you breathe, you can decide how you want to feel.
Today we´ll share with you how to use your lungs better so you can experience some of the aspects I mentioned above.
Try this:
– sit comfortably, with your back and head straight (can be on the floor or chair, but be sure your spine is aligned);
– inhale and exhale a couple of times, to observe how you are breathing;
– use the nostrils only (this is very important to start reeducate your breathing), inhale and exhale a couple of times just using the nose, never the mouth;
– then start to direct the oxygen you inhale to the lower part of your lungs feeling your abdomen expand naturally, without effort, then let the air flow into the middle part and then the upper part of your lungs;
– exhale in the opposite way, from the upper to the lower part of your lungs;
– repeat the exercise for at least 2 to 3 minutes (with time, you will feel your body gets used and starts breathing this way naturally).
TIP: If you see that starting with the 3 parts of the lungs is a bit hard, you can do it only with the lower part. When the air goes in, the abdomen goes out. When the oxygen goes out, the abdomen goes inwards. I´ll repeat, air in – tummy out; air out – tummy in. When you feel comfortable with this, pass to the exercise I described before.
Resuming the above in 3 main steps to follow:
1. sit and make sure your back is straight;
2. breathe only through you nostrils;
3. inhale and expand the 3 parts of the lungs (lower, middle, upper); exhale in the opposite way.
Do this while working, walking, training and before sleeping. You will feel the immediate benefits but also, the long term ones. Your emotions, body and mind will benefit from this simple exercise and therefore, impact your daily routine, stress levels, decisions making, focus and much more.
Keep on training to redefine your habits.
Breathe what it takes!
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