Breathing is one of the most natural activities that we often pay little attention to because it can happen without our conscious participation. Most of us have never been taught to breathe, which is a pity! The ability to breathe can and should be improved – not only athletes or singers should know about it.
Breathing is a complex process necessary for life. When we breathe, our cells receive oxygen and release carbon dioxide. No one has ever taught us to breathe properly, so many people assume that they know everything about breathing.
Breathing is an activity that we can do automatically and unknowingly or consciously. Breathing is under our control – breathing skill is one of the most readily available solutions to coping with stress.
How we breathe may change depending on our emotional state and the activities we perform. When we feel nervous or excited, our breathing is often fast and shallow, and when we are relaxed or asleep, our breathing tends to slow down and become more steady. By skilfully controlling our breathing, we are able to control our emotional and physiological reactions – inform our body that it should tense up or relax.
There are two basic respiratory paths: thoracic and abdominal. Chest breathing accompanies us when we are stressed. It is taking short, sharp breaths that are driven by the chest. When you are nervous, you may not even realize that you are breathing this way. Such breathing does not bring enough oxygen into our bloodstream. Our muscles tighten, our heart beats faster, we may even feel dizzy. This signals to the body that we are in a dangerous situation.
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Why does the body’s natural reaction to a stressful situation weaken us and make it difficult to act instead of making us stronger? Evolution adapted us to face the threats that our ancestors faced, including wild animals. Strong stress at the moment of meeting the predator mobilized to escape, and the intense physical effort that required getting out of trouble forced deep and effective breathing, helping to reduce the effects of a short-term “adrenaline shock”. Most of the challenges we face today are long-term and rarely require physical mobilization. As a result, we do not give our body a chance for proper regeneration.
The second path of breathing is abdominal breathing, which requires skillful control of the diaphragm. This is how you breathe when you are sleeping, for example. It is this breath that has a beneficial effect on the state of mind and physiology. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming the body and regulating, among others, blood flow, digestion, and heart rate. Deep breathing using the diaphragm allows us to avoid a strong reaction in stressful situations. It informs our body that our life is not in danger and does not have to be on standby.
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Would you like to discover how you can reduce your anxiety and stress on a daily basis by breathing? Are you curious about what techniques can help you control your breathing, emotions and physiological responses? You will get to know them thanks to the Breathing training course available in the Polish Mindy application. In addition to this form of several lessons, in the library you will also find individual recordings useful when you want to calm down before a stressful meeting, sleep or feel that your body is restless. You can find one of them below; 4-7-8 is a breathing technique that will help you calm your mind and body.
As part of the “Peaceful Head” campaign prepared by Mindy and Medonet, you get access to the best promotional offer for access to the full library of recordings. In addition to breathing exercises with detailed instructions, you will find theoretical recordings and those that will allow you to use the power of your lungs in an unconventional way.
Take a deep breath and choose an exercise for today!
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