Our Magical Breath

Our Magical Breath

As it turns out, deep breathing is not only relaxing, it's been scientifically proven to affect the heart, the brain, digestion, the immune system — and maybe even the expression of genes.

Mladen Golubic, a physician in the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative Medicine, says that breathing can have a profound impact on our physiology and our health.

"You can influence asthma; you can influence chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; you can influence heart failure," Golubic says. "There are studies that show that people who practice breathing exercises and have those conditions — they benefit."

He's talking about modern science, but these techniques are not new. In India, breath work called pranayamais a regular part of yoga practice. Yoga practitioners have used pranayama, which literally means control of the life force, as a tool for affecting both the mind and body for thousands of years. 

 How you breathe is a great indicator of your state of mind and how you are feeling. In its natural state, your breath should be full and deep and should feel effortless.

However in today’s fast-paced world, stress is often at the center of many people’s lives. When we are stressed the breath speeds up and the chest tightens in an attempt to supply the body and brain with an extra kick of oxygen.

If you are under continual stress, this reaction becomes normal and we lose touch with our natural capacity for full, easy and deep breathing. Luckily we can change this. Just as our feelings, thoughts and emotions influence how we breathe, how we breathe can influence and affect our thoughts and feelings.  There are many different breathing techniques out there a very simple one to use is breath with count, it's also great to get into a meditation practice.  Inhale to a count of 5, hold 5, and exhale for a count of 5. After just a few sets you will begin to feel how amazing and magical harnessing your breath can be! Namaste Ya'll!