Awaken the Power of your Breath

I’m pretty sure that many of us have been on at least one type of diet in the last 12 months. Maybe we’ve been motivated to go on a fast, a juice diet, perhaps a raw food or a high fibre diet. We spend so much of our time aware of the food choices we’re making, we feel guilty over how much junk food we consume, we ponder over what kinds of foods we should be buying at the supermarket. We want to look and feel good, we want to be vibrant and healthy and yet we hardly ever think of the one bodily system that’s arguably so much more important, the respiratory system.

We can all go without food for weeks, without water for days and yet a brain without oxygenated blood starts to shut down after only 6 minutes of deprivation.

Whilst our digestive system supplies our body with the essential energy and nutrients for growth and repair, and water makes up more than 60% of our body mass, our respiratory system supplies us with a life force that has been documented for centuries by the ancient traditions of Asia, the Far East and beyond. Pranayama, the flow of energy, the awakening of the Kundalini, the movement of the breath which directly effects the electromagnetic field around our body is practiced by Yogis all around the world.

In Hawaii, there is the ancient practice of ‘Huna’ that has been passed down for generations. In fact, they call anyone outside of their culture a ‘Haole’ meaning ‘a no breather.’ This implies that all non-native Hawaiians have no idea how to use the power of breath and in most cases, they’re most probably right.

If we watch a baby breath, they breath with the entire body. On the inhale the lower belly is relaxed and it expands like a balloon as the air seems to enter not only the lungs but the entire torso area. Their rib cage expands out to the sides whilst their shoulders and neck remain completely relaxed. On the exhale, they simply relax, and the elastic muscles of the torso move back and down.

As adults, we tend to suck in our abdominals. And of course, this is deemed more acceptable in our society. This is what we’ve been conditioned to do because who wants to see someone with their belly hanging out! We feel slimmer if we suck in our belly. Even as a teenager we wanted to look good, and part of that meant pulling in the lower belly to squeeze into our skinny jeans and then taking shallow breaths using only the upper torso, the shoulders and neck. Subconsciously, most of us have been restricting our breathing to the upper torso and taking short sharp uncoordinated unrhythmic breaths every minute of the waking state for most of our lives. No wonder we feel so good when we go for a swim, practice yoga or go for a walk. We’re taking deeper breaths, we’re oxygenating the blood, we’re becoming more alkaline and less acidic. And, of course thank goodness for sleep because in this restful, horizontal position the belly is relaxed, the diaphragm moves freely and the breaths can flow, expanding the entire body. In this peaceful state our body is efficient, growth and repair can occur, and the respiratory system can work its magic.

The times when we really need an optimum level of oxygenated blood, clarity and focus, brain and body coherence, is when disaster strikes or when we’re confronted by a challenge. If, in these situations we’re not conscious of the breath, we tend to subconsciously hold our breath rather than extending it. So, we find ourselves paralysed by fear, feeling like the room is shrinking around us, we may feel light headed or experience an incredible weakness in the lower energy centres of the body. If only at this moment you could find the awareness to focus on the breath, carry out a solid breathing technique for several minutes and restore the much-needed balance to respond to this situation from a higher state of consciousness. If you have a regular breathing practice, you can!

Years before I learnt meditation techniques and breathing practices, anxious and overwhelmed, I always wondered why I felt so much better and was able to think far more clearly after I’d dedicated 3 hours to clean the whole house. Of course, all that vacuuming, mopping and dusting increased my oxygen intake, increased my blood flow and eliminated a great deal of acidic carbon dioxide from my blood. I’d sit down after my spring clean and answers to problems would emerge, ideas for moving forward would spring into my head from seemingly nowhere. I felt calm, peaceful and in that state, the rest of my day was productive and so much brighter.

When we learn to breath with intent, with energy, with focus and we are using our entire body in a practiced daily routine, we’re naturally:

Balancing all of the body systems,

improving digestion and the absorption of nutrients,

improving our immunity,

lowering high blood pressure,

eradicating insomnia,

ridding ourselves of anxiety, frustration, anger.

Simply by taking time out every day to love ourselves enough to follow a breathing practice we can improve our life from the inside out.

Time to practice:

Give this a try if you are new to breathing techniques. Sit up tall without a backrest. Place your palms just under your ribcage and off to the sides.

Inhale and allow your belly to expand and then your chest cavity to move outwards to the sides. Feel your torso expanding outwards (horizontally) rather than upwards (as we are so accustomed to doing).

And now release the breath, imagining your torso is a tube of toothpaste that is being squeezed empty into a taller, longer shape. Practice this several times with the eyes closed feeling the entire torso expand and contract.

Now, let’s do this breath more rhythmically over 16 counts.

Breath in for 4 counts filling the lower belly, the rib cage expands.

Hold the breath in for 4 counts.

And then as you allow the breath out, over 4 counts squeeze that breath out and feel your torso lengthen.

Hold the breath out for 4 counts.

Repeat

Do this practice for 3-5 minutes with the eyes closed and notice how calm you feel at the end. You can do this breath placing your focus on the inner body as it moves with the breath, or you could focus on a part of your body which requires healing.

There are several fabulous breathing techniques I practice and teach. In particular, ‘breath of fire’ has to be my favourite. Look it up on You Tube and find a demonstrator you connect with. Make this a mission. Introduce breathing into your morning routine, into your break time at work, whilst you’re waiting for the kettle to boil when you make a cup of tea, whilst you’re listening to a friend pour out their frustration in the lunch break and of course before you go to bed. Just a few minutes here and there for 3 to 4 weeks and you will find yourself subconsciously breathing quite differently. Your mind and body will thank you for it.

‘Nerves that fire together, wire together.’ Be the creator of your inner calm and inner health.

This article is to hopefully get you to start a regular breathing practice today and not wait for disaster to strike. The plan is to learn the techniques, practice them every day and make them part of your routine. So that when life throws you a curve ball, you’ll have the awareness, the simple tools and techniques to pull yourself right out of the jaws of a disaster.

Tried and tested, hand on my heart, even in the most earth crashing moments, yes, my friends, it works!