The physiological importance of breathing involves all of your systems including respiratory, circulatory, the nervous system, digestive system, endocrine system, the urinary system and the largest organ of all, your skin. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, "Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health. If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn breathe correctly. There's no single more powerful--or more simple--daily practice to further your health and well-being than breathwork." People often overlook the importance of breathing properly because they do not understand the benefits to their overall health.
Proper Breathing
The proper way to breathe is through your abdomen, not your chest. Start by inhaling through your nose and check to see that your abdomen is rising higher than your chest. Use your hands to effectively measure by placing one hand on your chest, and one on your abdomen. It might be easier to see the difference laying down rather than sitting up. Your exhale should be longer than your inhale because that is the way to properly oxygenate your cells. When you breathe in, you fill your lungs with oxygen. The key to getting the right amount of oxygen to promote well-being is to exhale completely by contracting your abdomen and pushing out that last little bit. You will breathe more deeply and effectively during the next inhalation.
Respiratory
Proper breathing reduces chest pain, helps eliminate waste, reduces the need for artificial stimulants and harmful prescription drugs, and reduces mental and physical fatigue. If we do not breathe properly, our body may not be able to release gases from the body and cell function and health is hindered.
Circulatory System
Benefits of breathing properly include improved blood circulation. Breathing well can relieve congestion, increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients to cells and eases the strain on the heart due to inefficient oxygen supply.
Nervous System
Effective breathing can bring about mental clarity, better reaction times, increased productivity, stress relief and balance of the brain hemispheres. Breathing can help relieve the body and mind of stress and help reverse the effects of improper breathing. You can observe the correlation between the nervous system and breathing correctly anytime you take a deep breath and feel less overwhelmed or stressed.
Digestion and Endocrine System
Breathing properly stimulates this body system by using diaphragmatic action as a pump in order to massage and stimulate the internal organs, thus aiding their function. Proper breathing techniques can improve the body's ability to digest foods and allow the body to rest during the digestion process. The digestive system and endocrine system work together during digestion, and nasal breathing can help to regulate these bodily functions. The endocrine system is responsible for hormones, which help regulate the body's metabolism and fat distribution. When the oxygen levels decrease, the endocrine system does not perform to its potential and may hinder glandular function.
Urinary System
Shallow breathing, which is what we all normally do, puts stress on the organs of elimination, so the deeper the breath, the less strain on the elimination organs, and the better they are able to function. Deep breathing also helps eliminate and prevent swelling or fluid retention in all areas of the body.
Skin
Since breathing properly gets more oxygen and nutrients to your cells, your skin shows the benefit of it. Wrinkles can be prevented or improved with stretching and deep breathing. It will help clear up acne and add color to your skin.
Tags: your abdomen, endocrine system, your chest, your skin, breathing properly, chest your, digestive system