Why Breathing Better is So Important

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An often overlooked aspect of wellness is breathing, It’s strange we don’t pay more attention to our breath and how it can help us when it is the very thing that’s keeping us alive, but because it’s so automatic, we often don’t think very much about it at all. We should - here’s why:

It keeps us alive

Breath is the very thing that keeps us alive. We won’t last long holding our breath after all. Our breath deserves our attention. We deserve to breathe in as much fresh air as possible. Of course, breathing can be problematic when we’re breathing in polluted air due to the domination of petrol and diesel vehicles over electric cars (although this is slowly changing) or because so many homes are so filled with chemical pollutants from candles and cleaning products, for example, but we cannot live without it, and by modifying our breath in a number of ways, we really can improve our health.

It can help us de-stress

Most of us, no matter how generally happy and healthy, are no strangers to stress. We can all get stressed out from time to time whether because we’ve had a tough day at work or because we’re worried about the lockdown. Luckily, calming ourselves down and starting to feel better can be as simple as changing our breathing. The 4-7-8 breathing pattern, for example, has been shown to be very effective at relieving stress, and it can be done in just a few minutes, Give it a try next time you feel stressed and you’ll be glad you did.

It relaxes the muscles

Deep breathing is great at relaxing out muscles., reducing tightness and tension and keeping us calm. If you learn to visualise your breath going into the part of your body that is aching, and then visualize all of the pain you’re feeling leaving your body with your out-breath, you’ll be surprised at just how much relief you can get.

It can lower blood pressure

As you breathe deeply and evenly; as your muscles relax more and more, your blood vessels will dilate and your blood pressure will start to creep down, If you have problems with high blood pressure and heart-related issues, focusing more on your breath is an excellent wellness practice. It’s easy and you can do it anywhere, so what do you have to lose?

It releases toxins

Although breathing can introduce toxins and pollutants into the body, it’s also a pretty effective way of getting rid of them. When you breathe effectively, your lymphatic system is ale to op[erate optimally too, and this will enable your body to cleanse and release toxins.

It can help you sleep at night

If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep, there are a number of breathing exercises that could help you to drift off more quickly. Slow, deep breathing is particularly good for this as it helps to switch on the parasympathetic system, which will help you to relax more fully.

Breathe easy and you’ll start to feel better!