Breathing techniques as a tool to improve our overall health

Pranayama is a breathing technique in yoga practice. It is a science that is based on controlling your breath. Yoga breathing consists of exercises designed to maintain good health. Breathing techniques are based on proper and controlled inhalation and exhalation of air to relax and reduce stress.

Pranayama teaches you to change your depth, speed, and breathing pattern. As we already know, lifting is crucial for our survival because it is the only way we deliver oxygen to our organs and the brain. Science says that we can endure even months without food, without water we can endure a couple of days, but only a few minutes we can endure without breathing.

When you learn to breathe, you will create a positive impact on your actions and your thoughts and feelings. Every thought affects your breathing rhythm, when we are happy, for example, breathing is rhythmic, but when we are under stress, our breathing becomes irregular and intermittent. Practicing the art of breathing and learning about breathing techniques is a key step towards self-healing and survival.

WHAT IS THE IDEAL TIME TO PRACTICE BREATHING TECHNIQUE?

In principle, you can do them when it is convenient for you, but it is generally suggested that these exercises are a great way to start the working day. Morning is the best time to practice breathing techniques, especially if you do it in fresh clean air. It is recommended that you do it on an empty stomach.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PRANAYAMA (BREATHING TECHNIQUES)?

• Breathing at full lung capacity (we increase lung capacity and thus bring more oxygen into our body)

• Learning how to breathe properly

• Reduces the level of toxins in our body (ideal disease prevention)

• Helps digestion (proper breathing improves metabolism)

• Develops our concentration and ability to observe

• It is ideal against stress and body relaxation

• We increase self-control (we react more calmly and calmly to circumstances)

• Improves autoimmune functions

• Helps relieve asthma

• Reduces the symptoms of oxidative stress in the body

• Regular practice prolongs life and improves the perception of life

• Lowers high pressure

• Contributes to weight loss and maintenance

Breathing techniques:

1. Sit in a comfortable and appropriate position. For one minute, focus completely on your breathing. Feel your breath, hear the sound of your breath, follow the flow of your breath, follow the place where breathing takes place (focus on the abdomen for example).

2. Feel the breath where it enters and leaves the body. Focus your attention on your nostrils. This is where the technique of alternating breathing through the nose comes into play.

THERE ARE SEVERAL BASIC YOGA BREATHING EXERCISES

• Anuloma Ujjayi Pranayama - Sit in the appropriate position. Do not lower your head, slowly lower your chin so that you straighten and raise your spine. Inhale through both nostrils with a slightly constricted throat. Exhale through the left nostril (Mrigi Mudra - the technique of closing the nostril with the help of fingers). Release the right nostril and inhale through both nostrils. Exhale through the partially closed right nostril.

• Viloma Ujjayi Pranayama - Sit and relax your chin down. Inhale through the left nostril (while closing the right nostril with your finger), then remove the finger and exhale on both nostrils. Repeat all this only now through the right nostril.

• Electric Pranayama - Lie in the "dead position" and take a deep breath. Hold your breath as long as you can, then exhale quickly and forcefully through pursed lips.

• Namaskaram Pranayama - Be in a standing position. Inhale naturally through the nose. Let the exhale be forced through the nose, and at the same time pull the abdomen inwards. During breathing, alternately bend backward and bend forward.

SEVERAL EASIER BREATHING TECHNIQUES

Michael J. Stephen, author of Breath Taking: The Power, Fragility, and Future of Our Extraordinary Lungs, argues that a drug to reduce stress, improve digestion, reduce inflammation, strengthen the lungs, and increase happiness hormones is completely free. This medicine is not a magic pill, but a proper way of breathing!

• Abdominal breathing (breathing from the diaphragm) - Deeper breathing benefits our health because such breathing activates the diaphragm and helps the body provide itself with more oxygen. This type of breathing helps to harmonize the flow of blood through the lungs (perfusion), and ventilation (flow of oxygen through the alveoli). "Once you inhale oxygen into the lungs, the blood must be in the right place to take in oxygen. And the best blood flow is, under the action of gravity, in the lower part of the diaphragm. "If we don't use the diaphragm when breathing, we don't allow oxygen to reach the place where perfusion is best."

From a mental point of view, deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve, which has a calming effect on our mental health. "The vagus nerve sends calming signals to the brain, announcing that everything is fine."

Proper breathing brings benefits to our health in a very short period. Stephen recommends that we start each day with a minute of slow, controlled breathing and increase this period every day. "If you spend 3 to 5 minutes a day, you will find yourself in a situation where you will notice a dramatic change for the better."

• Technique 4-7-8 - This technique consists of inhaling for 4 seconds, then holding your breath for 7 seconds, and then gently releasing your breath for a full 8 seconds. Stephen says that we do not have to blindly follow this rule, but we can adapt this technique to ourselves, depending on our health condition. He does this technique differently. He begins his day with a 5-2-7 breathing technique to maintain the health of his lungs and to raise his concentration and focus for the new workday.

• Box Breathing - This technique consists of having the exact periods for which you inhale, exhale, and the period without breathing. This technique is also called the 4-4-4-4 breathing rule. This means we inhale for 4 seconds, then hold the air for 4 seconds, then exhale for 4 seconds, and finally hold for 4 seconds again. Repeat this for about ten minutes during the day. (Find guided technology online)

• Wim Hof method - This method was invented by the famous Iceman, Wim Hof, which consists of sitting comfortably, sitting, or lying down. This is followed by 30 inhales and exhales. We inhale through the nose (or mouth, as it is easier for you) and fill the diaphragm with oxygen. Then exhale, but do not exhale completely to the end, but leave a little oxygen in the lungs. Without any pause, a new breath follows. Repeat this 30 times, and finally, when you exhale on the thirtieth repetition, hold your breath and try to last as long as possible (about a minute). This is one series. Repeat it three times. (I suggest you find a guided Wim Hof technique on youtube, to make it easier for you to follow).

We will additionally talk about each technique separately, this was just an introduction to these free but perfect tools for working on yourself and your health. As with everything, consistency is the key here. So, you have to work on these techniques every day to feel the real benefits they bring.

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