Deep Breathing Exercises

Did you take the time for deep breathing exercises today? I mean really breathe, filling your lungs and feeling the energy infusing your body, doing nothing else for a few moments except concentrating on breathing deeply. If you didn’t, you’re missing out on some good health and relaxation.

Yoga and meditation are popular forms of reducing stress, and most of the benefit comes from the breathing techniques they use. But before we get into that, let’s first take a look at what stress is and why it’s such a problem.

Stress is not any of the following: running late for a big meeting, getting a belligerent child dressed and off to school, trying to figure out where the money will come from to pay the electric bill, bumper to bumper traffic, getting called into the boss’s office. Those are all pressure-cooker situations, but none of them are stress. Stress is a reaction, not an action.

It’s the way your body reacts to situations and problems. When you feel like you are under stress, your body releases adrenaline and other chemicals. Back in the day, these were used in the fight-or-flight response to danger. The body is not meant to live under constant bombardment of these chemicals. While they’re great for clearing the mind and charging the muscles in an emergency situation, they become toxic when not cleared out of the body efficiently. The result of chemical buildup can be depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, organ malfunction and cancer, just to name a few.

Clearing out toxins from daily stress not only keeps you healthier, it lifts your spirits and gives you more energy. Cells laden down with chemicals are sluggish, which means you are, too. Effective ways of helping your body eliminate toxins include drinking plenty of water, eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and breathing properly. This last one goes hand in hand with exercise. Exercise is great for keeping your muscles in good shape, but the biggest benefit is from breathing. Your blood circulates faster and you take in more oxygen. The more oxygen you take in, the healthier your cells become. The good news is, you can get healthy cells while sitting at your desk at work, just by being conscious of your breathing. The bad news is, no, you’re not excused from exercising. You still need to work out your muscles, especially your heart, to stay in top health.

Read more about deep breathing part 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Author
Kaci L Koltz is an at-home mom to two with a BA in English. She loves to learn and her interests include reading, music, spirituality, yoga, natural health, and color. Her addictions include chocolate, Harry Potter and Dr. Phil.
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