Why Improve your Breath?
A student once inquired, “Why focus on improving breathing?”
I outlined three compelling ways in which refining your breathing can lead to both immediate and lasting improvements in your overall health:
Enhancing Functional Breathing: Often, we only become aware of our breathing when it becomes dysfunctional—limited, noisy, or disrupted in the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle. Dysfunctional breathing manifests as feelings of breathlessness during physical activities, strained breathing, nasal congestion, and more. By improving the functioning of your breath, you can address these issues, enhancing performance in sports or activities like swimming, diving, or mountain hiking.
Countering Stress Effects: Stress exerts a vice-like grip on the chest, causing many individuals in their 40s and 50s to seek medical attention for chest pains. While medical examinations may reveal a healthy heart, the pains are often attributed to the concealed impact of anxiety and worry. Stress prompts the autonomic nervous system to contract the muscles between the ribs, leading to habitual and painful contractions. These lessons directly influence and mitigate this stress response.
Improving Coordination: Dr. Feldenkrais observed that in optimal functioning, the breath remains unaffected during all movements, following the body’s natural rhythms. Individuals often unknowingly hold their breath during crucial actions, such as swinging a golf club, chopping vegetables, or singing a note. This disrupts the planned trajectory of the action, impacting coordination. The lessons emphasize practice to enhance coordination, reduce stress, and increase overall capacity.
Problem breathing while sleeping. Many people have problem sleeping, including sleep apnea, heavy breath, obstruction and coughing, and of course, snoring. Regular practice of breathing exercises can make a significant difference in your sleep patterns and thus your self of waking and feeling rested.
You can refine your breathing, reduce stress, improve coordination, and enhance your overall well-being with two courses focused on Breathing:
This 4-lesson course is all about finding the ways to experience the breath to be easy, relaxed, responsive to your needs.
In each class you will learn about the amazing apparatus of breathing that we are born with; how you can find your way to breathe easier tantalizing hints on how you can increase your ease and comfort. Click to learn more.
