Breathing for Healing
By
By: Ehren Allen, PT/Certified Manual Therapist
Breathing for Healing
Breathing is necessary for life. Only a few minutes without it can lead to a loss of consciousness and eventually death.
Making good breathing a part of your day can facilitate healing and well being. Proper breathing impacts wellness by lowering stress, relaxing muscles, and decreasing perspiration. When our blood is highly oxygenated, it becomes difficult for viruses and bacteria to grow in our body. Breathing well also supports muscle growth and promotes energy to finish our daily tasks.
When we are conscious of our breathing, we realize that we breathe very shallow. One of the best techniques is abdominal breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing.
The diaphragm is a large muscle in our chest that contracts and creates a downward force that causes the abdomen to expand. This improves the venous return to the heart and improves stamina during activity.
Inhaling and Exhaling
Training the Breathing Process
- Place one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen.
- Take a deep breath in through the nose – the hand on your abdomen should rise higher than the one on your chest. Exhale through the mouth.
- Take another a deep breath in through your nose (as deep as you can). If possible, count to 7 or 9 as you inhale.
- Slowly exhale through your mouth in less time than you inhaled (if inhale to 9, exhale to 7). As you exhale, gently contract your abdominal muscles to completely release the air.
- This technique should be practiced one to two times each day. It is like taking a ‘wellness break’ during your busy day. Deep breath in through the nose, slow release through the mouth.
Abdominal Breathing Exercise
Abdominal breathing improves energy throughout the day. It helps the body to rest, gives us a feeling of calm and serenity, and creates a harmony of the mind, body and spirit. It takes about five deep breaths in a row to switch our body over to this relaxed healing mode. When you breathe deeply, you give your internal organs a message of well being while oxygenating your blood.
Do not try to breathe deeply in all situations. We are not designed to breathe deeply at all times. If you get into a rhythm of deep breathing daily, you will heal faster and live a much healthier life.
Breathing for healing, where there is oxygen, there is life.
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