Do you know that most of us don’t breathe the right way?
Isn’t that weird? It’s something our bodies do without thinking; how could we be doing it wrong?
(I keep thinking of that episode of the Simpsons when Homer visited his dad in a nursing home and saw the oxygen machines: “You mean I’ve been breathing by myself this whole time?”)
Yes, we are breathing by ourselves and still managing to do it sort of half-assed.
Most of us take short, shallow breaths.
We barely fill our lungs.
Instead, we should be breathing more deeply. If you put a hand on your belly by your navel and one on your upper chest, you should feel both rise when you breathe in. And the one on your belly should be higher.
The extra oxygen is good for you.
It helps you relax, lower your blood pressure, sleep better, release toxins, and more.
Just breathing. Deep breathing.
You don’t need to do it all the time. You might hyperventilate if you did, plus it’s one more thing to remember.
But you know sometimes how you take a deep sigh, or maybe you yawn? That’s your body telling you that you need more oxygen. So when that happens, it’s your signal to take a few deep breaths.
It’s funny. I’ve been under a lot of stress lately — we’re selling our house — and I’ve noticed I’m automatically taking more deep breaths without thinking.
Our bodies watch out for us.
Do yours a favor and take a deep breath or two.
Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog