Our beautiful bodies can survive three weeks without food, three days without water, but only three minutes without air. We need to breathe to survive. But if we improve the effectiveness of our breathing, we can positively impact our health and wellbeing. Are you ready to breathe more effectively? If so, take a deep breath and read on…
Whether you think about breathing or not, it happens. Your respiratory system works day and night, logging around 20,000 breaths in a 24-hour period. This may lead you to think that you don’t have to think about your breathing at all – because it just automatically happens. Even though it’s not mandatory to give your breath much thought, when you do, amazing things can happen.
Breathe Deeply...
Though it may feel unnatural to breathe deeply, it comes with wonderful benefits. Deep breaths are more efficient, they allow your body to fully exchange incoming oxygen with outgoing carbon dioxide. They have also been shown to slow the heartbeat, lower or stabilise blood pressure and lower stress. With each deep inhale and exhale, your breath helps regulate, recover, and restore your body. The science behind deep breathing is a great reminder of how our bodies have a natural ability to be resilient.
Breathe through Your Nose...
Your nose and mouth provide two options for breathing. Both lead to the same place – your throat. When you inhale through your mouth, the unfiltered air can actually harm your body and result in unpleasant symptoms such as bad breath, asthma, tooth decay, allergic reactions and more serious health conditions stemming directly from the polluted air you inhale. Breathing through your nose filters out foreign particles, humidifies the air, and produces nitric oxide which improves oxygen circulation in the body. Nose breathing cleans the air, so it is ready for use once it enters your lungs.
Box Breathing...
Box breathing is a form of paced breathing that follows a specific rhythm. It’s become all the rage in recent times and for good reason because it’s been shown to reduce stress, help you feel calmer and increase your energy levels. Box breathing is exceedingly simple to practice. Relax your body and do the following:
- Exhale to let out all the air in your lungs to the count of four
- Keep your lungs empty for a full count of four
- Inhale deeply for a count of four
- Hold your breath and keep your lungs full for a count of four
That's it! Box breathing can be practiced virtually anywhere and anytime – when you're showering, working, watching TV, or even exercising. You can practice box breathing for only a quick minute and experience the immediate benefits of a calm body and a more relaxed mind, or you can practice for several minutes and experience that plus the longer-term benefits of increased resilience to stress, decreased feelings of depression, increased positive feelings, and more. There are several apps that can help you practice box breathing or other types of paced breathing for stress relief. What's great about these apps is that they can add a visual element to your practice.
Breathe with Oils...
The cleanest, purest air is found where clean water churns, in places like waterfalls and beaches. Think of the last time you were in nature and experienced breathing in the crisp clean air – doesn’t it feel amazing? The trouble is, most of us don’t have a waterfall in our living room or a beach in our backyard. But you can harness the same benefits by using an Ultrasonic Diffuser which purifies, humidifies, produces negative ions and diffuses Pure Essential Oils in the air. Try our Breathe Easy Pure Essential Oil Blend with Peppermint, Lavender and Lemon. This is a calming blend that helps alleviate the symptoms of allergies, hay fever and upper respiratory ailments. It provides symptomatic relief and management of sinusitis and rhinitis. It also gives temporary relief from bronchial coughs, colds, flu and mild respiratory infections. Put simply, it makes breathing easier!
Breathe Better!
Now you know how to breathe better (if you didn’t already! Carving out a few minutes each day for ‘deep box breathing through your nose with Essential Oils diffusing’ can help you lead a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. Try taking some quality breaths right now!
