Why Deep Breathing Helps.
Want to feel better? Deep breathing helps to release endorphins: the feel good and natural pain killer. Moreover, these hormones can help aid you in sleeping more soundly.
Muscle relaxation is part of the deep breathing experience and this relaxes tense muscles, which cause the pains in our back, neck, and stomach. The design of the body is for work periods followed by rest periods. This doesn’t mean that those periods must be sixteen hours straight for work followed by eight hours for sleep.
Studies into deep breathing exercises indicate that they can also be beneficial to asthma sufferers. This is attributable to the strengthening of the intestinal and abdominal muscles through continued devotion to the practice.
A common modality amongst meditation teachers in helping their students learn proper breathing technique is to place one hand on your stomach and the other hand on your chest. As we grow older, or in times of stress we tend to breathe higher in the chest as opposed to breathing more deeply in the lower lobes of the lungs, which if done properly will allow our stomachs to rise first and then the chest.
By breathing in more deeply and filling the lower lobes of your lungs (stomach rising) before filling the upper lopes of your lungs (chest rising) you’ll be able to allow more oxygen to move throughout your body. When practicing deep breathing, do the best you can to make your breaths even and consistent.
Keep monitoring the stomach and chest to be sure you are doing it right, but if for some reason you don’t master the concept at first, don’t allow yourself to become stressed.
As with everything else, the benefits will be optimal if you practice practice practice. When practice becomes 2nd nature in a relaxed environment, branch out with the technique and use it during everyday activities.
With practice, you should be able to develop a habit of deep breathing exercises so that it becomes second nature. The more time you spend breathing properly, the less stressful your life will be.
Confused on deep breathing exercises? Listen to this this meditaiton cd Meditation made simple!







