THE WONDERS OF DEEP BREATHING

An excerpt from Choose the Life You Want


Author Tal Ben-Shahar offers these two choices:
Take short, shallow breaths — or — Breathe deeply and slowly

“If I had to limit my advice on healthier living to just one tip, it would be simply to learn how to breathe correctly.”
—Andrew Weil

Shallow breathing is a reaction to the unyielding stress of modern life—and is itself a cause of further stress, which leads to more shallow breathing. To stop this downward spiral of shallow breathing and stress—even in the midst of the daily mayhem—I can take three or four deep breaths and enter an upward spiral of deep breathing and calm. I can switch on the healing power of deep breathing right now and at any time throughout my day—as I wake up, while on the train, in the middle of a meeting, before going to sleep, while waiting for the red light to turn green, or while reading a book. All I need to do is gently, without strain, fill up the space of my belly, and then slowly and tenderly breathe out.

Thomas Crum, in his book Three Deep Breaths , follows Angus, a busy man who is unsuccessfully trying to achieve work-life balance. Angus is torn between his desire to spend quality time with his wife and daughter, and the relentless demands of his work. And he ends up feeling frustrated in both spheres. He experiences constant stress, guilt, anger, and fatigue.

One morning, when everything seems to be going wrong, Angus meets an old man who becomes his teacher. The old man helps Angus regain his center, by introducing him to the three-deep-breaths technique. This scientifically based technique is simple, and it can help us all shift from the fight-or-flight response to what Herbert Benson calls the “relaxation response.”

I use a variation of Thomas Crum’s technique, and it has done wonders for me. I take a first belly breath—breathing slowly and deeply, expanding my stomach as I breathe in—and I focus on centering, on being present in the here and now. I take a second deep belly breath, and while doing so focus on my purpose—whether for that day or for my life as a whole. The third deep breath is dedicated to something for which I’m grateful—thinking about a family member, a meeting I had or am about to have, or anything else.

The physiological impact of deep breathing, coupled with the cognitive component of focusing on something positive, provides a powerful technique that can change the way you feel. The technique is particularly effective in bringing about calm and joy if you do it a few times a day.


Excerpt from Choose the Life You Want: The Mindful Way to Happiness , copyright © Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD, 2014. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold.

 

Thanks for posting this Herbie. Deep breathing has been a huge help to me.

 

Love this Herbie! I read Andrew Weil, and one lasting pearl of wisdom was his breathing technique to induce sleep, which I do every night!

 

This is great Herbie! Thanks for the tips, I always tend to shallow breathe without even realising it. I will be more mindful of this. Thank you

 

I too am a great believer in the calming benefits of deep diaphramic (belly) breathing. I practice it all the time.
Whenever I feel angry, anxious, a stuffy head, I do some deep breathing and immediately feel better.

I like the technique in the post, about doing the deep breathing in three stages:
1) holding a deep breath while thinking in the present moment.
2) thinking of a purpose
3) thinking of someone I like or a pleasant meeting to come.

I think most people breathe shallow as a habit.
Especially when I'm stressed or busy. I hardly feel like I'm breathing at all.
But when I concentrate on actually breathing, deeply, the calming comes.

A DVD I often watch on Tai-Chi for Seniors, emphasizes how important deep diaphramic brething
is because it produces "a profound calming effect."

I like remember "profound calming effect" while I practice deep breathing.
We're supposed to get into the habit of deep breathing so it becomes natural and we
don't even have to think about it.

 

Okay, so deep breathing is very important. The hard part, is remembering to breathe throughout the day. Constant distractions in the way.
I did an online search and found that there are apps out there that will give you a breathing reminder and you can customize these to fit your needs.
I would be interested to know of anyone on the forum that uses one of these "reminder services" and has a recommendation of what to download for Android devices.

 

Here's something I found on a website.
http://www.onepowerfulword.com/2010/10/18-benefits-of-deep-breathing-and-how.html?m=1

Breathing correctly is not only important for living longer but also to have a good mood and keep performing at your best. Let us look at the benefits of deep breathing and why you should make it part of your everyday living.

1. Breathing Detoxifies and Releases Toxins

Your body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing. If you are not breathing effectively, you are not properly ridding your body of its toxins i.e. other systems in your body must work overtime which could eventually lead to illness. When you exhale air from your body you release carbon dioxide that has been passed through from your bloodstream into your lungs. Carbon dioxide is a natural waste of your body's metabolism.

2. Breathing Releases Tension
Think how your body feels when you are tense, angry, scared or stressed. It constricts. Your muscles get tight and your breathing becomes shallow. When your breathing is shallow you are not getting the amount of oxygen that your body needs.

3. Breathing Relaxes the Mind/Body and Brings Clarity
Oxygenation of the brain reducing excessive anxiety levels. Paying attention to your breathing. Breathe slowly, deeply and purposefully into your body. Notice any places that are tight and breathe into them. As you relax your body, you may find that the breathing brings clarity and insights to you as well.

4. Breathing Relieves Emotional Problems
Breathing will help clear uneasy feelings out of your body.

5. Breathing Relieves Pain.
You may not realize its connection to how you think, feel and experience life. For example, what happens to your breathing when you anticipate pain? You probably hold your breath. Yet studies show that breathing into your pain helps to ease it.

6. Breathing Massages Your Organs
The movements of the diaphragm during the deep breathing exercise massages the stomach, small intestine, liver and pancreas. The upper movement of the diaphragm also massages the heart. When you inhale air your diaphragm descends and your abdomen will expand. By this action you massage vital organs and improves circulation in them. Controlled breathing also strengthens and tones your abdominal muscles.

7. Breathing Increases Muscle
Breathing is the oxygenation process to all of the cells in your body. With the supply of oxygen to the brain this increases the muscles in your body.

8. Breathing Strengthens the Immune System
Oxygen travels through your bloodstream by attaching to haemoglobin in your red blood cells. This in turn then enriches your body to metabolise nutrients and vitamins.

9. Breathing Improves Posture
Good breathing techniques over a sustained period of time will encourage good posture. Bad body posture will result of incorrect breathing so this is such an important process by getting your posture right from early on you will see great benefits.

10. Breathing Improves Quality of the Blood
Deep breathing removes all the carbon-dioxide and increases oxygen in the blood and thus increases blood quality.

11. Breathing Increases Digestion and
Assimilation of food
The digestive organs such as the stomach receive more oxygen, and hence operates more efficiently. The digestion is further enhanced by the fact that the food is oxygenated more.

12. Breathing Improves the Nervous System
The brain, spinal cord and nerves receive increased oxygenation and are more nourished. This improves the health of the whole body, since the nervous system communicates to all parts of the body.

13. Breathing Strengthen the Lungs
As you breathe deeply the lung become healthy and powerful, a good insurance against respiratory problems.

14. Proper Breathing makes the Heart Stronger.
Breathing exercises reduce the workload on the heart in two ways. Firstly, deep breathing leads to more efficient lungs, which means more oxygen, is brought into contact with blood sent to the lungs by the heart. So, the heart doesn't have to work as hard to deliver oxygen to the tissues. Secondly, deep breathing leads to a greater pressure differential in the lungs, which leads to an increase in the circulation, thus resting the heart a little.

15. Proper Breathing assists in Weight Control.
If you are overweight, the extra oxygen burns up the excess fat more efficiently. If you are underweight, the extra oxygen feeds the starving tissues and glands.

16. Breathing Boosts Energy levels and Improves Stamina

17. Breathing Improves Cellular Regeneration

18. Breathing Elevates Moods
Breathing increase pleasure-inducing neurochemicals in the brain to elevate moods and combat physical pain

How to Breathe properly?In order to breathe properly you need to breathe deeply into your abdomen not just your chest. Even in the old Greek and Roman times the doctors recommended deep breathing, the voluntary holding of air in the lungs, believing that this exercise cleansed the system of impurities and gave strength. This certainly is of great value to you in your work in the world. Breathing exercises should be deep, slow, rhythmic, and through the nose, not through the mouth. The most important parts of deep breathing has to be regulating your breaths three to four seconds in, and three to four seconds out.

1. Inhale through your nose, expanding your belly, then fill your chest. Counting to 5
2. Hold and Count to 3. Feel all your cells filled with golden, healing, balancing Sun light energy.
3. Exhale fully from slightly parted mouth and Feel all your cells releasing waste and emptying all old energy. Counting to 5.

Schedule your deep breathing exercise just as you would schedule important business appointments. Set aside a minimum of two 10 minute segments of time everyday although you can begin with two five minutes segments if you prefer. Honouring yourself enough to schedule time with yourself is the first step in mastering stress. Tend your relationship with yourself and your relationship with life and with others will be enriched and deepened accordingly. Remember to share with your children and all your friends and loved ones so that they too can reap its untold benefits.

 

Thanks for this, abundance. I practice deep breathing all the time
but it is good to follow the advice of the article you posted.

 

Thanks Mermaid, yes it has made a world of difference in my vitality and I didn't know all the health benefits until I started my study on Deep Breathing about 6 months ago. This is one of the added plus's I have discovered on my journey in Tms penicillian. I know Sarno don't mention it but Steveo does and I know by my practice that it works super well in calming your nerves. I thought it was so cool the way Andrew Weil said if he has just one tip, it would be breathing.

 

Colly, Deep Breathing has helped me so much in the past too. Like when I'd do long wind sprints then I'd have to Breath Deep and after like 2 weeks I'd be feeling like a super athlete but I found that the same feeling happens when I breath Deep and hold then release while in a relaxed state like meditation. I felt real good knowing I didn't have to sprint to get that awesome feeling. I haven't used his technique to sleep but I'll keep that thought in mind for sure, thanks so much.

 

I love this Walt. You have it laid out as a plan, like a summary. Something to go by, love it. Thanks

 

This is an awesome addition Abundance72, I love it. Breathing detoxifying the body is enough for anyone to get started. I remember in one of my studies, the Drs. could actually see different colored air by the different emotions the person might have been having as suggested by the DR. They somehow put some kind of chemical in the air and when the person was sad the air was different than when the person was happy. It showed that we are affected really every where when we are stressed and pressured to much.
And number 2 was the main reason I stuck with my deep breathing regimen cause of the tension release. Each time I'd do a session I would feel so much better with my soothing and the meditations sure got better.
The Balance as in number 3 came a few weeks later but it was a happy welcome home since I have had many bouts with imbalance.
And number 5 -- breathing into your pain, I haven't heard it put that way but I love it. Thanks. My lesson for the day.
And numbers 6 and up are an awesome protocol for anyone looking to get an edge, all of this is music to my eyes Abundance72. Thanks again

 

I love it Richsimms22, I think I posted that post on my Facebook, if not it will most definitely go there. Awesome.

 

Tigerlilly that sounds cool but I have never heard of one of those, I'd use an alarm but I'm just to country. I bet with some apps you'll probably get some cool breathing affirmations and even sounds like the air of the ocean to breath by. It would be cool, Thanks.

 

I haven't tried it yet, but I found this device while doing an online search in case anyone is interested: http://www.breathminder.com/ ($19.95 US)
You have to click on the "Package Insert" link to see how it works. It states:
"Each 15 minutes you will get a vibration of 4 seconds, an 8-second pause, and another 4 second alarm. The second (nag) alarm is to make sure that you didn't miss the reminder to perform your proper breathing routine."

 

Love it, that is some great techno. If you do give it a go let us all know how it works for you.
Bless you

 

My best friend, in Colorado, is working two jobs and finding it hard to relax.
I called him Sunday night and told him about deep breathing, and he said he'd try it.
I'm sure it's going to help him in his busy and stressful life.

I agree with Andrew Weil. For me, deep diaphramic breathing is the most important thing
for becoming calm. It helps a great deal in meditation.

I practice deep breathing while at the same time massaging "the valley point,"
the fleshy place between the thumb and index finger on both hands.
It's considered the most useful point in acupressure because it
reduces anything to do with stressful minds.

 

This is super that you have the heart to help your friends Walt. Most of the help I give is to distant releatives and friends at Facebook. Friends here at Tmswiki and in emails -- etc...
I plan to open up workshops in Texas when I get there to reveal to everyone that comes how to have control over these lost emotions of pressure. If you just be and let life flow most of the tension life generates will flow away with that act of flow.
I have different forms of flow. Breathing deep and meditating is part of my process but not really caring what others think about me and my journey has been most beneficial too.
I have had that Goodist trait my whole life and that is just part of my personality that I can't change less I want to be out of balance but I learned that part of our goodist personality is derived from wondering what others think of us. That is the part that will always give you a backward roll if you fall victim to it. Do the best you can, breath, stay in flow and get rid of those negative voices by changing the tone of those voices to tones of hope and encouragement. Thanks for your reply pal.
Bless You

P.S - I hope to get back to the videos soon. I had to pack then un-pack and now I'm packing again so this move is taking a lot of my time there. I wanted to make videos to teach how we can do many many phenomenal things with our hope and knowledge when we know the directions and the way.