Our breath is one of the most essential fuels for our physical and energetic bodies.
Yet, most of us pay almost no attention to it and take it for granted.
Why? Because our body or more precisely our body’s autonomic nervous system controls it for us, we don’t have to consciously think about it.
Our breath is what nurtures our entire internal landscape and all its living processes with prana (life force energy) and oxygen.
Entering the body
To put it short and simple, our respiratory system brings air from our environment into our lungs and facilitates the gas exchange in the lungs and cells.
We inhale oxygen-rich air that is vital for us to live and we exhale carbon dioxide which is the waste product of this process. This all happens automatically which is a phenomenon in itself.
Part of our magic toolbox
What fascinated me beside the gas exchange, was that we can make a direct connection to our autonomic nervous system, gaining access to a part of ourselves that usually functions outside of our conscious awareness.
With proper breathing practice, we can regulate our heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, hormone secretion, and control regulate and heal our emotional and mental states.
This was already very clear to the ancient yogis which are working with their breath for decades.
Intentional Breathwork
Breathwork is an intentional breathing pattern designed to promote relaxation, productivity, and emotional, mental, and physical health.
Through different techniques, we can promote different types and depths of outcomes - according to what the body needs at that moment.
There are simple techniques we can use to simply deepen our breaths and therefore allow more time for the gas exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. There are other more challenging techniques to purify and balance the body.
How you can start working with your breath
Firstly, we become aware of it. With that said, just reading about it and not putting in the work, won’t actually improve your breath. We got to put in a little bit of intention and effort.
Bringing awareness to something is the first step to change.
…where we put our focus is where we put our energy.
If you are interested, you can watch the guided how-to video and practice belly-chest breathing with me. In Yoga, you also call it the ‘yogic breath’. This simple technique will allow you to expand your breath by using your full lung capacity.
It’s usually said that it takes around 30 days to create a new habit, so I would suggest you experiment with it for 30 days and see how you are feeling.
>>Reminder: never force and never overdo it. Listen to your body!
PS. It’s worth the practice, I’ll share with you a couple of deep insides I received during breathwork journeys.
Sending love,
Eileen