What's Wrong with How I'm Breathing?

Breathing is such an automatic thing. You do it all day and all night, without fail. That's 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 365 days a year, for 60 or more years. It starts from the day you are born and it never stops until the day you die. But how much attention do you really pay to breathing?

If you've ever watched a baby sleep, you know that the baby's abdomen rises and falls with every breath. This is our natural way of breathing. As we get older, many of us stop breathing this way. No one really knows why. Your chest should not expand when you breathe, your abdomen should. If your lower abdomen compresses when you breathe in, you are breathing incorrectly. This restricts the lungs' capacity which causes you to take in more shallow breaths and results in the body actually fighting against the inflow of air. This causes tension.

Proper breathing is done from the abdomen, not the chest. It not only relieves stress and helps relax you, it ensures the proper amount of oxygen is being taken in by your body. How many times have you heard, "Take a deep breath and relax!" Have you ever tried it? It works. Even just a few seconds of mindful abdominal breathing can noticeably relax you, ease tension, calm your nerves and reset all your emotional dials. "Mindful breathing" just means you are conscious of what you are doing and paying attention to it. It takes practice but it is worth it.

There's no special trick to mindful breathing. You can try it right now. It's nothing you have to learn. It's something you already knew but forgot! Simply inhale through your nose down into your abdomen. It might feel different at first if you are not used to it but you'll notice right away that you are taking a deeper, more fulfilling breath. You'll notice that the tension goes out of your shoulders and that you feel more relaxed. You can try counting silently as you breathe, if you like: "In... two... three... four. Out... two... three... four." This is very helpful for anxiety, panic attacks, anger, stress or any time you need an emotional reset.

Practicing mindful breathing throughout the day helps reduce stress, regain focus, rejuvenate and relax a tired mind, energize a tired body and even helps you get a better night's sleep. Unlike yoga or meditation, mindful breathing can be done anywhere, at any time in just a few seconds and it's benefits are immediate.

Both your body and you deserve a few seconds to relax. It's time to take them. In... two... three... four. Out... two... three... four.