The work of the lungs. How to learn to breathe properly

Otto Heinrich Warburg (German biochemist, one of the outstanding scientists of the 20th century in the field of cytology) revealed in 1931 a sad pattern: lack of oxygen is a direct and sure path to the formation of cancers.

So, if you care about your health?

First, let’s look at what types of breathing there are and, most importantly, what is their effect on us:

• Clavicular (If you are hunched over, your shoulders are raised, and your stomach is compressed, it means that you are very much depriving yourself of oxygen). Get better!
• Chest breathing (In this case, the chest expands due to the intercostal muscles, which helps to saturate the body with oxygen. This method is more physiological during pregnancy).
• Deep breathing, which involves the muscles of the diaphragm (With such breathing, the lower parts of the lungs are filled with air, this is how men and athletes breathe most often. The most convenient way for physical exertion).

Breathing is a mirror of mental health. Psychiatrist Alexander Lowen has long studied emotional blockages (neurotic and schizoid disorders of people) that prevent proper breathing. He discovered an amazing clear relationship between the character and the type of his emotional disorder. And as it turned out later, schizoid personalities are prone to breathing with the upper part of the chest. And people of the neurotic type use shallow diaphragmatic breathing.

Dr. Lowen came to the conclusion that by restoring the correct way of breathing, people have the opportunity to find a normal life.

If we breathe incorrectly, then less oxygen enters our lungs, which means less oxygen gets to the cells of the body. Did you know that the condition of the skin and hair directly depends on the work of the lungs? So, with a violation of gas exchange in the lungs, a number of functions pass to the skin, and this leads to the appearance of wrinkles and other troubles. Is it scary? Then by all means correct your breathing.

Start your workout by evaluating your breathing habits: just breathe and watch how you do it.

Ask yourself: “How do I breathe–through my nose or through my mouth?” Breathing through the nose has a physiological significance:

1. The nasal mucosa warms up
2. Filters
3. Humidifies the inhaled air

This does not happen when a person breathes through their mouth.

So, the first important rule of proper breathing is to breathe through your nose.

Now, ask around: “Am I breathing in the same rhythm or not?” Have you been experiencing rapid breathing? What is your breathing rate at the moment? Count the number of breaths per minute (the normal frequency is from 16 to 20 per minute).

Ask yourself a question: “Are there any extraneous sounds when breathing?” 

What happens when you take a breath? What happens when you exhale? With proper breathing:

• It should not be noticeable how the chest rises and falls.
• And the abdominal wall should rise with each inhalation and retract with exhalation.

Breathing properly means breathing like a child — with the lower part of the abdomen (abdominal breathing).

By changing the rhythm, tempo and depth of breathing, you affect the chemical reactions and metabolic processes in the body, your appearance, your thoughts, mood and attitude to the world.

It is quite difficult to quickly adjust to proper breathing, but it is still possible if desired. Constant training is important here.

So, when practicing breathing, it is necessary:

1. Breathe with minimal air consumption.

2. Inhale as slowly as possible (draw in air).

3. Exhale as freely as possible (let the air out).

4. There should be no pauses after exhaling.

5. Never inhale or exhale as deeply as possible.

6. Breathing should always be accompanied by a slight noise.

The concepts of “breathing” and “yoga” are inextricably linked.

Yogis have been practicing effective breathing for several millennia, and they have developed a unique technique that works incredible miracles.:

• Cures insomnia
• Mental disorders
• Diseases of the heart and intestines
• It will relieve headaches.

Before you start practicing proper breathing, remember some of its features.:

• When breathing fully, all areas of the lungs should be involved — the upper, subclavian and shoulder parts.
• The middle is under the rib cage.
• The bottom is the supra—fragmented part.

And, most importantly, the inner state should be balanced and positive, no irritability!

1. Take a comfortable position:sit down or lie down
2. Pull in your stomach, expelling all the air from the lower part of your lungs, and relax it again.
3. Next, exhale slowly and deeply through your nose, which will fill the bottom of your lungs. At the same time, the stomach should rise.
4. Following the bottom, fill the middle part, during which the chest will expand. And the most recent one is the upper one, under the collarbones.
5. After filling your lungs, hold your breath.
6. Then slowly exhale all the air in reverse order. First of all, release the upper part of the lungs, followed by the middle and lower.
7. Pull in your stomach to realize that all the air has gone out.
8. Hold your breath again.

Now let’s talk about meditation.

The word “Meditation” in Sanskrit sounds like dhyana, which translates as “concentration.” In China, this word was transformed into “chan”, and in Japan — “zen”.

Meditation is a philosophy, and those who comprehend it begin to gradually realize the essence of life, their purpose in it, and also see the true meaning behind existence.

For meditation at home, you will need a separate space – it must be absolutely clean, used only for meditation. It is useful if you take a bath or shower before starting your meditation. The purity of the body is important for the purification of consciousness.

This is an amazing exercise that allows you to plunge into the world of childhood, throw off the shackles of reality, and become freer. The birthplace of dance is the Baikal region, it was there that he was born during one of the trainings.

It is best to perform it to music.:

• Close your eyes
• Relax
• Start breathing slowly, coherently, and deeply.

Imagine a bird flying. How did you feel watching him? Did you want to soar up and disappear into the sky?

Immerse yourself completely in the exciting feeling, let go of conventions, allow yourself to be a bird – light, free, soaring.

Exercise number 1.

1. Stand up straight
2. Bring one leg forward
3. Imagine that you are holding a balloon in your hands
4. Start tossing it slightly, accompanying each throw with a sound.

At first, use only vowels.:

U– O – A – E –I – Y.

And then start adding consonants to the beginning of the syllable.:

BOO – BOO – BA – BE – BI – BY;
VOO – VO – VA – VE – VI – YOU;

As you lower the ball, repeat everything from the beginning.

Breathe easily and freely. Breathe properly!

Source: 4brain.ru

Photo: breathesimple.com