Inhalation for Inspiration

So, I am stuck on breathing… Why?

I think a regular, daily, breathing practice might just be the key to living a happier, healthier and more full life. It has certainly been a defining factor in the changes I have noticed in my body and mindset since the start of the year when I committed myself to a daily morning routine of breathing practice and exploration.

Making this commitment to yourself to focus on the fundamental and most important thing we can do each day creates that sense of deep inner connection and a refuge from daily life. With so many distressing things happening in the world, taking solace and raising our own vibration will help us all get through.

We can find so much in each and every breath we take. Our breath is a window into our mental and physical state, changing and adapting to how we feel emotionally and physically. It changes the chemical states of our body and our blood.

We can find vitality, strength, invigoration, inspiration, expansion and uplift our whole being in the inhalation. We can let go, relax, release, and find space and compassion in our exhalation. The breath can give us all we need to change our state of mind, become more positive, to find refuge and peace. Changing the way we breathe changes our physiology.

Just 10 mins in the morning of breathing practice can make the world of difference to your day. Try different practices and see which one gives you what you need the most. We might explore different Pranayama practices, hopefully, you have practised some in your classes. Try them at home on your own. Or simply watch your breath and allow long slow, full exhalations to relax your body, squeeze stale air out of your lungs and increase your Carbon Dioxide, regenerating your cells and allowing for greater oxygen exchange.

If you tend to breathe through your mouth, it’s time to STOP!

Close your mouth and breath through your nose. There are tons of research papers showing the negative health effects of chronic mouth breathing. It’s hard at first but training yourself to breathe through your nose will help reduce many of the symptoms you no doubt suffer with. Try Buteyko Breathing techniques, these can help in the treatment of asthma and other respiratory conditions as well as help you shift from chronic mouth breathing to nasal breathing.

We should measure our life in breaths rather than minutes,
days, weeks or years, for in each breath we can be free.