Breathing
Breathing is important!
Most of us hardly use the full capacity of our lungs, especially when we slump at the computer or when we watch television. This compresses our lungs and we breathe in a shallow way, just into the top of our chest. Sitting like this soon begins to affect your body. Tension and pain levels rise and you may also develop a headache or other symptoms.
Deeper breathing has many positive effects. It can:
- Relax your muscles.
- Feed and regenerate all the cells of your body with oxygen.
- Rid your body of impurities more efficiently.
- Encourage the production of endorphins – your body’s own feelgood agents.
- Calm your mind.
- Best of all – it’s the key to pain relief.
Check your breathing right now!
- Put one hand on your chest.
- Put the other between the bottom of your rib cage and your abdomen (this is your diaphragm).
- Just let your hands rest there for a few moments.
- Notice which hand moves the most.
For the most efficient breathing your lower hand over your diaphragm should move the most. This is diaphragmatic breathing which will help to give you pain and stress relief.
‘Breathing Breaks’
Take ‘breathing breaks’ for a few minutes throughout the day, especially whilst at your computer or when watching television.
- Don’t force your breathing, take gentle, normal breaths deep down into your abdomen.
- As you breathe out, say slowly to yourself: “Relax…”
- Really feel yourself relaxing and letting go of stress, tension and pain.
- If you’d like to, you can then:
- Take your attention to the place that hurts.
- As you breathe, on the out-breath, breathe gently out through the place that hurts. This helps to relieve the pain.
Your breath is always there available to you, use it to help you!
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