Are You Breathing the Right Way?

We're all alive and breathing right now, that's a fact. But are we breathing in the way we're supposed to? Could it be that we're not taking in enough breath to reach our entire body? And moreover, could many of the health issues we experience be rooted in incorrect breathing? Many of us aren't even aware of how much oxygen we're able to inhale and whether we're delivering it sufficiently to where it's needed.

Babies do this perfectly, but over the years, fears, traumas, suppressed emotions, anger, and resentments can cause us to lose up to 75% of our natural breathing ability. However, it's possible to relearn and reinforce it. Moreover, without much effort, by dedicating just a few minutes a day and with breath awareness, you can make proper breathing a part of your life within two to three weeks.

To define proper breathing step by step:

• Place your hand on your belly and as you inhale through your nose, expand your belly as much as you can. Without forcing, slowly fill your belly with the air you inhale through your nose until you reach the maximum point you can expand, then, with the same calmness and focus on your breath, slowly exhale the air through your nostrils.
• After you get used to this practice, if you feel comfortable, you can try inhaling for four seconds and exhaling for eight seconds. In this way, you can gradually increase the duration without forcing yourself, making the exhale twice as long as the inhale.
• While doing all this, make sure you wear comfortable clothes at first and try to breathe in a position that is as upright and comfortable as possible, giving your lungs enough freedom to take in sufficient breath.
• If you can't sit upright for a long time, you can lie on your back on a flat surface, with your lower back relaxed and your arms and legs in a comfortable position.

Proper breathing benefits many things physically, mentally, and spiritually:

Physically:

• Improves blood quality and helps toxins be eliminated more easily
• Has a positive effect on the entire nervous system and hormones
• Diaphragmatic breathing increases growth hormone and delays aging
• Strengthens the immune system
• Adequate oxygen intake in the right way helps with weight control
• Has a very positive effect on sexual problems, increases performance
• Increases cellular efficiency, revitalizes the skin

Mentally:

• Helps us concentrate more easily
• Strengthens memory
• Increases comprehension and accelerates the learning process
• Boosts creativity
• Enables faster thinking
• Regulates sleep and improves its quality
• Raises IQ level

Spiritually:

• Brings mental calmness
• Helps release emotional blockages
• Through its effect on hormones, raises the threshold for stress, anxiety, and haste
• Helps achieve inner peace
• Increases EQ (emotional intelligence) level
• Helps us gain awareness, self-love, and emotional empathy

Don't take breathing, which is so vital, lightly. If you have an issue with it, start with small exercises as described above as soon as possible.