It’s estimated that 90% of humans don’t breathe very well and even fewer can define what healthy breathing is.
Breathing is something most of us take for granted and rarely give any thought unless there’s something inhibiting our breath, be it allergies, stress, fear or pain. Given just a little bit of attention, the keys to better breathing are simple to implement. But be warned, better breathing can lead to increased energy levels, less pain and more happiness.
5 Simple Steps to Better Breathing
Step #1 - Shut Your Mouth!
Seriously, even when exercising. Mouth breathing leads to a variety of issues that often make it harder to breath through the nose. Mouth breathing begets more mouth breathing. Mouth breathing exposes the lungs to direct infestation of parasites, viruses and various nasties we don’t want in there. Mouth breathing dehydrates us, causes bad breath and negatively influences every biological system. If we’re exercising so hard we have to pant through the mouth, even the CDC says it actually does more harm than good. Breath through the nose, if at all possible. If needed, invest in medical tape that’s designed to keep the mouth shut at night. No, I’m not joking. Breathing through the nose is so important that there’s now tape made just for this purpose that won’t harm delicate lips.
Step #2 - Breath from the Belly
A shallow, chest breath increases the production of stress hormones like cortisol in the body while a full, belly breath turns off these same hormones. Many of us are habitual chest breathers and wonder why our stress levels are so high. It’s basic biology - duh. But belly breathing (dan tien breathing we call it in qigong & tai chi) isn’t so easy to start if we’ve been chest breathing for years. It can take focused effort to bring oneself out of chest breathing and into healthier belly breathing. If you have a hard time belly breathing, read on to Step #3 for help.
"Improper breathing is a common cause of ill health. ~Andrew Weil, M.D.
Step #3 - Tip of Tongue on Roof of Mouth
Who knew that by simply placing the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth behind the two front teeth, we automatically breath more from the belly than when the tongue is in a different position. Qigong and Tai Chi practitioners know this because it’s one of the basic teachings about breathing in these systems. But don’t just take our word for it, try it for yourself. Notice how you breath with the tongue in this position and out of this position to see if it influences a better belly breath. You might even notice there’s a small groove behind the two front teeth that the tip of tongue fits in nicely. Hmmm, coincidence? When belly breathing, we don’t try to manipulate the abdomen. Instead, by relaxing the abdominal muscles, the lungs can fully expand to draw in as much air as they can. So the belly expands just a bit on inhale and “deflates” just a bit on exhale.
Step #4 - Slow it Down
Studies show that slower breathing = longer, healthier lives. The good news is when we belly breath, the breath rate naturally slows down compared to chest breathing. Most people breath between 16-21 breaths per minute. But for optimal health it’s best to breath between 8-12 breaths per minutes. A few studies indicate that if we want to live to a healthy 100 and beyond, we should slow the rate of respiration to 3-5 breaths per minute - think turtle breathing.
"It turns out that when breathing at a normal rate, our lungs will absorb only about a quarter of the available oxygen in the air. The majority of that oxygen is exhaled back out. By taking longer breaths, we allow our lungs to soak up more in fewer breaths.”
― James Nestor, Breath: The New Science of the Lost Art
Step #5 - Be AWARE of Breathing
When we become aware of breathing, respiration naturally slows down and becomes deeper and fuller. While there are many breathing techniques that can be used that affect the mindbody in various ways, all we have to do is notice that we’re breathing and our respiration rates decrease. Staying focused on the breath can sometimes be challenging for more than a minute or two. Good news: there’s an app for that! Of the many apps for breath work, my favorite is simple, easy and FREE with no ads: The Breathing App. It’s self explanatory to use and an easy way to stay focused on breathing to create a healthier, stronger respiratory system, calm the mind and bring peace to the soul.
Better Breathing for Better Mindbody Health
Slower fuller breathing leads to better health, longevity and vitality. Anyone can create better overall breath using the 5 steps above. If you’d like to learn about various breath work techniques, Click Here, to access ALL the breath work videos in the Qigong Video Members Library. Consider attending one of the qigong or breath work sessions. Check the schedule HERE.