Wary of
alternative health mumbo-jumbo?
Forget
the over-complicated, mysterious stuff! Here's an easy, common
sense guide to breathing for health and relaxation!
Breathing
is in the air. You can hardly open a magazine or browse a health site
on the web without finding an article about the amazing power of
breathing, usually accompanied by "quick and easy instructions".
Breathe to relax, breathe to energize, breathe to fall asleep, breathe
to live. You might think you can breathe to relieve just about any
ailment.
The
thing is, many of the claims are true. Clinical proof that slow
breathing can lower high blood pressure has made headlines worldwide in
recent years. And this is just one of many discoveries. It also
relaxes, relieves stress and anxiety, improves sleep and moods and much
more. Scientific support for breathing as natural relief or cure for an
amazing list of conditions is accumulating daily.
And
why should it be a surprise? The connection between breathing and many
of our other physiological processes has been recognized as long as
human beings have walked the earth. "Take a deep breath" they always
tell you in moments of great stress or panic. Breathing deeply and
slowly calms the heart and nerves as surely as eating quiets a growling
stomach. Breathing is a powerful healing tool.
So
it's a real travesty that the usual "quick and easy instructions" that
come with these articles are almost always either dead wrong, tedious,
over-complicated or wrapped in excessive "therapy speak"!
A
typical example (actually taken from a leading health website) might go
something like this: "Lie flat on your back, stand up straight or sit
up straight in a chair… (all very relaxing postures!). Place
your hand
on your stomach and breathe in through your nose to a count of 5 while
expanding your abdomen. Hold your breath for another count of 5. Pinch
your left nostril closed and breathe out through your right nostril for
a count of 10 while balancing your chakras… "
Okay,
so I paraphrase a little, but you get the idea. What these instructions
and many other similar examples always forget is that relaxation is the
first prerequisite for breathing to be effective! The more relaxed you
are, the greater the benefits.
Aside
from all the other absurdities, how can you be expected to relax while
counting your breathing? Counting or timekeeping of any sort simply
don't go together. You might as well be doing calisthenics!
The
next most common mistake is unnecessary complication. Complicating
factors include the various techniques of abdominal breathing along
with gimmicks such as alternating nostrils, chanting or making other
noises and calling for distracting visualizations or meditation.
This
is all counter-productive. Breathing is natural and - if allowed to
relax - it will come to us that way. (Some gurus like to claim that
we've forgotten how to breathe. Well, thank you very much, but I'm
still alive last time I checked!)
Now
I'm not criticizing any of these practices, per se. They can all be
useful. I practice abdominal breathing myself. But for the uninitiated,
complications are the last thing they need. No wonder so many people
may try breathing once, never to come back to it again.
So
here are my recommendations for a simple, natural way to practice a
therapeutic type of breathing that's proven to lower high blood
pressure, induce deep relaxation, relieve stress and anxiety and
improve sleep (and no counting allowed!):
1.
Get as relaxed as possible. Listening to slow, gentle
music can be very
helpful, both to relax and to help keep your breathing regular without
counting. (Choose your music carefully because the tempo and beat of
the music will actually influence your breathing.)
2.
Breathe in slowly and gently.
Pause briefly. Breathe out for approx. twice as long as you
took to
inhale. Relax your entire body as you exhale. Let it go. You can almost
feel the blood vessels in your chest area opening up. Pause again.
Breathe in and continue the cycle.
3.
As your breathing becomes more comfortable begin to slow the
rate as far as possible within your comfort zone. Take
your time.
Always stay relaxed and maintain the 1:2 inhale to exhale ratio.
4.
Continue for 15 minutes. Try to repeat daily or at least 4
times a week.
Tip:
You don't need to count! Just plant firmly in your mind:
"exhale
twice as long as I inhale". With this in mind you will always be in the
right ballpark.
Optional:
If you wish to make it more challenging you can inhale through your
nose while gently expanding your abdomen. Then exhale through your
mouth while relaxing your abdomen. This will probably come naturally
anyway, without any special effort.
That's
all there is to it. You will start feeling benefits such as deep
relaxation and lower blood pressure immediately. Over time your
breathing will continue to slow while these benefits, and more, begin
to stay with you throughout the day.
Perhaps
if more people were to try it this way they would finally gain the
incredible health benefits to be had with simple, natural breathing.
Of course, you can learn slow breathing much more quickly, easily and
enjoyable with the Breatheasy System but, as you can see, it is possible to
learn it on your own with a little time and patience.
Click
here for an even more-detailed article on how to use slow breathing
with music to lower blood pressure and relieve stress.
