Health Benefits of Deep Breathing

Introduction:

Many Eastern and African Cultures know the benefits of Deep Breathing.

That is why they lay so much emphasis on such practices as Meditation, Yoga etc. Deep Breathing is

the rhythmic, controlled, expansion and contraction of the lungs with air. This is believed to control life itself. It is believed to control our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems that have a strong effect on our health. Laughter ( which is a form of breathing) is said to be the best medicine.

Breathing-* Reduces pain

• • • Cures Sadness and Depression

    • Builds Strong Immune System

    • Eliminates Insomnia

    • Eliminates Heart Diseases

    • Produces a Sense of Well-Being

Breathing and Our Living Systems:

When we are angry, or in a stressful mood, our body secrets a hormone, epinephrine, which effects many bodily changes e. g. our heart rate increases, our muscles tense up,

our breathing quicken and become shallow and we may perspire. If this situation prolongs, it puts our

bodily system out of equilibrium. This state of affairs may cause muscle tension, inflammation, and other conditions like high blood pressure due to the constriction of blood vessels.

Deep and Controlled Breathing can be utilized to stimulate our parasympathetic nerves to resolve these conditions

Breathnotherapy:

Breathnotherapy is a word I coined to signify a system of Deep Breathing which is made up of three

stages namely: (1) Stomach Breathing, (2) Chest Breathing and (3) Hands-Up Breathing. My philosophy behind this is that congestion of the lungs and stomach is the beginning of most ailments.

Deep Breathing purifies both the lungs and the stomach. When air is forced into the lungs, it extends

and mixes with the stale air in the alvioli (tiny air sacs in the lungs) and at the same time pushes on the stomach wall. On exhalation, the impurities in the lungs is eliminated while the pressure on the stomach wall sends us to the toilet.

Stomach Breathing:

Sit or stand, preferably stand in a comfortable position. Put your open palm on your stomach. Inhale into the stomach with your stomach completely full on a count of ten. If done properly your hand must move forward not upwards. Your chest at this time must not move upwards but remain steady.

Chest Breathing:

With your stomach full, without exhaling, now move or pull all the air in your stomach into your chest. All air from the stomach should be in your chest on another count of ten. Hole it there. At this time your chest should rise upwards.

Hands-Up Breathing:

Now move the air in the chest by raising your hands from your sides upwards till both hands meet over your head on a count of ten. Now exhale by bending and touching or pointing towards the toes without bending the knees. .Your lungs should be empty on a count of ten. That is one breath. The whole process of counting the breaths focuses the mind on one thing. This is a fun way of mind control.

If done properly while laying down one will be asleep before the count of ten.

Overview.

Deep Breathing whether it be done in the form of Meditation or Yoga or Breathnotherapy has many health benefits as we have just seen. It can reduce our blood pressure, cure insomnia, build strong immune systems and its laughter form eliminates Depression just to mention a few.

Breathnotherapy is very potent against insomnia. Whenever you are unable to sleep, just lay down on your bed and concentrate, follow the steps above. If done properly will put you to sleep before the count of ten.